Editor’s Note: This whisky was provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review. It should also be noted that by clicking the buy link in this review our site receives a small referral payment which helps to support, but not influence, our editorial and other costs.
The House of Suntory last year introduced a Limited Edition series for their heralded Yamazaki Japanese Whisky. Touted as the Founding House of Japanese Whisky, Suntory is becoming a monolith in the whisky world. My first introduction to the brand happened while watching Lost in Translation when Bill Murray’s character says the famous line, “for relaxing times, make it Suntory times.” The bottle he is featuring is the now discontinued Suntory Hibiki 17 year. Although Hibiki is potentially the more commonly known whisky by Suntory, the Yamazaki is potentially the more historically critical one for fans of Japanese whisky.
Yamazaki Single Malt Whisky launched in 1984, although its roots date back to 1923 with Shinjiro Torii and Japan’s first malt distillery in Yamazaki, Shimamoto Mishima District, Osaka, Japan. Since its introduction, the Yamazaki Whisky has grown into an international favorite. In many states the 12-year-old has become allocated and no longer sits on shelves. For myself, I am a fan of this whisky and find its flavor profile reminiscent of a fine Scotch, albeit accented with a greater floral profile.
House of Suntory, in explaining the purpose behind this release noted the following. “What excited me most about this launch is that just one year before the 100th anniversary of Suntory Whisky, we can finally share the full story behind our Tsukuriwake way of whisky making, which was born from the Founding House of Japanese Whisky,” says Suntory’s Fifth-Generation Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo. “The 2022 Yamazaki Limited Edition Tsukuriwake Selection honors the fact that greatness comes from diversity. And in doing so, we unveil what truly makes Yamazaki Single Malt Whisky the authority of Japanese Whisky.”
Tsukuriwake means “artisanship through a diversity of making.” Japanese whisky is heralded for the absolute artistry their master blenders bring to the category. What may not be as appreciated is how thorough the distillery is when crafting the whisky to be blended. The House of Suntory’s Tsukuriwake in Yamazaki prides itself in multiple types of non-peated and peated grain varieties, two types of wash backs, eight pairs with various pot stills and maturation in four different oak casks (French, Spanish, Japanese and American), with three cask size differences in American Oak.
This release has four different examples of the masterfully crafted whisky which is blended into the Yamazaki Single Malt we enjoy: Puncheon, Peated Malt, Spanish Oak, Mizunara.
We will focus on Puncheon for the purposes of this review. Puncheon is considered the “heart” of Yamazaki Single Malt. A puncheon is a large cask, approximately 480 liters, which is designed to maximize a whisky’s slow maturation. The intention is to bring about complexity and vibrance while imparting subtle notes essential to the delicate base of Yamazaki. The puncheon’s used in this whisky are American Oak. The distillery describes the nose as delicate flavors of green apple, mature pear, acacia honey. With a velvety and mild taste finishing with oak woodiness and subtle sweetness.
Tasting Notes: Yamazaki Tsukuriwake Selection – Puncheon
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Vital Stats: The suggested retail price is $450, ABV of 48%.
Appearance: pale straw, very light almost yellow.
Nose: this slowly but distinctly fills the room. Green apples, fresh pears, spring flowers escape from the glass. As you nose the glass you find chardonnay with a soft touch of alcohol. Right at the end of the nose there is the faintest hint of peat smoke.
Taste: I’m surprised with the first note – it’s peat. The mouthfeel is round and envelops the palate. The sweetness of the grain comes forward with dry pecans. It is overall extremely delicate and soft, the notes are present but play nicely with one another. They evolve over the tongue and through the finish. The sip just sits nicely in your mouth and fades gradually over a minute or so.
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