Yamazaki Mizunara 18 Year Old

Suntory's Yamazaki Distillery, founded in 1923 near Kyoto, is Japan's first whisky distillery, renowned for pioneering the use of rare Mizunara oak — a wood native to Japan prized for its complex, incense-like character but notoriously difficult to work with due to its porous structure and unpredictable ageing.

Unlike expressions simply finished in Mizunara, this 18 Year Old is fully matured in Mizunara oak casks from start to finish — a demanding, decades-long undertaking requiring exceptional cask management. UK allocation is fewer than 50 cases (300 bottles).

Tasting Notes

Nose: Smouldering incense, toasted coconut and sandalwood.

Palate: Dark cherry, ripe peach, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Finish: Long, with the hallmark spice and woodiness of Mizunara.

Region: Osaka, Japan  |  Style: Single Malt  |  ABV: 48%  |  Size: 700ml  |  Cask: 100% Mizunara Oak