Suntory Whisky Suntory The Yamazaki 12 Years Old NV 750ml

The first thing you notice is the elegant fragrance of lychee, spring blossoms, lily, rosewater, and raspberry meringue. Deeper in, grassy notes with star fruit, kumquat, and kaffir lime leaves. The flavors offer perfection in their simplicity: silky honey, soft spices, crystalized pineapple, barley sugar, lemon, and orange. On the finish, the spices chatter on and on as the sweet citrus and honey fade in and out. One to cherish.

Smokiness is the defining characteristic of this golden single malt. The aroma is distinctly fruity, mixing fresh apple and tropical fruit with a touch of vanilla. But from the first sip, it’s all about the smoke, with just a little bit of fruit peeking through to the spicy, slightly hot finish.

When I sample a dram of Suntory’s Yamazaki Single Malt 12-Year-Old Whisky, that herbaceous scent mingles with the aroma of honeyed vanilla. The result is a unique and nuanced drink. As with the 18-Year-Old Yamazaki, this is hearty, rich and smoky as those from Scotland’s Speyside and very intriguing. With notes of black cherry, white pepper, and fragrant wood, the round, subtle 12-year-old is a great foil for sushi.

Deep amber/18 carat gold color; impeccable purity. This seductive opening aroma is gently spicy, malty and almost brown rice-like; the secondary aromatic profile is fully integrated, dusty, dry, slightly woody/sappy and delicately spicy; understated, deep and enticing aroma of the first rank. Entry is firmly structured, moderately oily/viscous, nutty and candy bar-like; midpalate stage shows off a richness that's world-class, toffee-like and woody/resiny. Ends richly, understated, nutty/nougaty and drier than the other two Suntory whiskies tasted for this issue. Excellent quality.