Whisky Review: Yamazaki Tsukuriwake Selection Spanish Oak

is rich and decadent with subtle acidity, giving way to a buttery and lingering acidity with hints of bitterness. This series represents a curious exploration into the component structure of what makes-up a bottle of Yamazaki. We know how good the sum of its parts is, but how good is each part? With that, we turn to the glass. We review Yamazaki Tsukuriwake Selection Spanish Oak, part of a special Japanese whisky series from Suntory released last year. (image via Suntory) Tasting Notes: Yamazaki Tsukuriwake Selection Spanish Oak Vital Stats: The suggested retail price is $450, ABV of 48%. Appearance: extremely dark, treacle, almost coffee colored. Nose: extremely rich like mahogany, rich leather with soft port wine. It evolves into a lovely dessert, almost crème Brulé vanilla. Sweet with dark demerara sugar, red grapes, a balanced wine nose. This smells like a fine aged red wine. Taste: First moments this tingles the tongue and lips. There is a light acidity, but overall rich wood, prunes, and dried grapes. As the whisky evolves into a semi-dark chocolate, buttery mouthfeel with touch of acid to it interesting. The finish really brings all the palate flavors into unison. There is a touch of bitterness with a wonderful profile before it fades. The finish ties all the loose ends together before disappearing.