Halloween Whisky - Glenfiddich 30 Year & Yamazaki 25 Year

Had the pleasure of going to a friend's place for a pre-Halloween dinner and unexpectedly, some seriously fine whisky. 

The first whisky we savoured was the Glenfiddich 30. I've always liked Glenfiddichs and the opportunity to taste on of their top end drams was definitely a treat. This one recently won the Gold Medal at the International Spirits Challenge in 2013.

Comments: Overall a superb whisky that goes down very well and suits all palates. Great balance overall with blends of citrus fruit, honey and vanilla overtones for a mellow, distinct flavour.

A Glenfiddich 30yr would typically be the highlight of any good night out...until an even rarer Yamazaki 25yr gets pulled out of the cabinet. This is the World Whisky Awards 2012 winner of Best Single Malt and is practically sold out everywhere.

Comments: Talk about intense. Chocolate? Coffee? Sherry? Surprisingly flavourful and deep for a 43% whisky. And the finish just goes on and on...lovely stuff.

Yamazaki 15 years

Here's a whisky we bought from the Yamazaki distillery that we've been meaning to try. Strangely enough, the usual 12, 18 and 25yr whiskies at the distillery shop were a lot more expensive than at duty free or in any decent whisky shop. The Yamazaki 15 years, something which is not commonly found on the mass market, was the only one that seemed more reasonably priced at ~US$100.

THE REVIEW

Comments: A very fruity Yamazaki with a burst of citrus that hits you upon initial contact. Hints of sherrywood linger in the aftertaste. A yummy whisky for a social gathering or for the happier moments in life!

Yamazaki 1984

I was in Kyoto for the Sakura festival to see the Cherry Blossoms or Hanami as the Japanese call it. The sights and atmosphere was amazing and the food, as always in Japan, was absolutely fantastic. One of the main highlights of the vacation though was trip to the Yamazaki distillery, which is at the midway point between Osaka and Kyoto by JR Rail.

Yamazaki Distillery Store: In The Barrel

Barrel No. 0001 from 1924 when the distillery was founded

The distillery was beautiful and I was convinced after the tour that it was possibly the most modern and high tech distillery in the world (but my view is probably biased as this is my first ever distillery visit!) I'll not flood the post with more pictures of the distillery but all I can say is that you should definitely visit if you're ever in the area. Did I mention that you get a free whisky tasting at the end of the tour as well!

Whisky tasting of Yamazaki and Hakushu 12 yr with green tea or OJ?!

At the whisky store (In The Barrel), I was looking forward to finding a wide range of Yamazakis at decent prices. To my dismay, the selection was limited to the usual 12-25 year range and other Suntory products such as Hibiki and Hakushu. The crown jewel of the store was the Yamazaki 1984 but at 105,000Yen (~US$1,000) it was a tad bit overpriced in my opinion.

The Yamazaki Bar

Thankfully, there was a bar at the ground level where I could drown my sorrows. Browsing through the menu which had an extensive list of Scotch (Lagavulin, Macallan, Bowmore etc.), I spotted the Yamazaki 1984 which they sold by the glass at US$30. Doing some basic math (which was difficult given that I had 4 shots of whisky during the tasting about 10m before), I figured quickly that it was cheaper to drink the 1984 at the bar then to buy the bottle at the store.

THE REVIEW

Comments: A superb dram! The nose and the taste don't blow you away but the long, lingering fruit and crisp malt just took my breath away. I love how the whisky tastes really refined and elegant compared to Scotches of the same vintage. You can really appreciate the amount of thought they put into crafting the whisky. I'm sure it didn't hurt that they used Mizamaru Oak which imparted a sweet but not overpowering flavour. I am now officially a fan of Yamazaki. Kampei!

Yamazaki 12 Year

We're trying to beef up our Japanese whisky collection (and posts) to reflect the growing popularity of drams from the Rising Sun. Unfortunately, Japanese whiskies are pretty hard to find outside of the country which is why they are not very well reviewed generally. Anyhow, let's continue with the basic Suntory Yamazaki 12 year which is fairly easy to find in most bars and shops worldwide.

THE REVIEW

Comments: Maybe we're biased towards Japanese whiskies but this was a very good and easy to drink. It mimics a typical Scotch but with the touch of Japanese refinement. Keep one for your everyday collection!