Yamazaki 2020 Full Set

Yamazaki 2020 Full Set. Suntory recently announced the release of their Yamazaki 2020 Limited Edition range and, as expected, it’s a joy to behold. Sadly, this series of five unique whiskies wasn’t released to the public, instead only making its way into bars and restaurants, fortunately, we’ve managed to get our hands on some bottles so that you can too. All expressions in the range are non-age-statement and come in at 58%, with each bringing a unique take on Yamazaki whisky, from a Mizunara finish to a peated single malt, and everything in between. This incredible set includes all five bottles:

Yamazaki Puncheon 2020 Edition

Yamazaki Spanish Oak 2020 Edition

Yamazaki Mizunara 2020 Edition

Yamazaki Peated Malt 2020 Edition

Yamazaki Bordeaux Cask 2020 Edition

SINGLE MALT WHISKY YAMAZAKI PUNCHEON 2020 EDITION

This one comes from short and stout 480L American oak puncheons that are coopered by Suntory themselves. Because of the low contact ratio of puncheons, maturity is slower, so Suntory says we can expect flavor closer to the original spirit.

Color: Bright yellow gold

Nose: Green apples, vanilla, acacia honey

Palate: Soft and mellow, butterscotch

Finish: Slight bitterness of oak and slight sweetness

700ml, 48% abv

SINGLE MALT WHISKY YAMAZAKI BORDEAUX WINE CASK 2020 EDITION

Wine casks add a smooth sweet and sour accent to Yamazaki. Suntory brings in French oak ex-wine casks and “rigorously” inspects them prior to using them for aging Yamazaki. If you like that particular aspect of Yamazaki, try this bottle — it’s a blend of whiskies aged solely in those wine casks.

Color: Amber with a tint of red

Nose: Berry fruit sweetness and spicy

Palate: Complex, rich, and thick

Finish: Sweet and sour, spiciness of French oak

700ml, 48% abv

SINGLE MALT WHISKY YAMAZAKI SPANISH OAK 2020 EDITION

Compared to American oak, Spanish oak produces more tannins, leading to a more pronounced aromatic malt. Suntory sources their ex-Sherry casks–and they note that while ex-Sherry casks can be American or Spanish oak, Suntory chooses only the Spanish oak ones–are made from wood in the forests in the north of Spain. There’s a rich, concentrated sweetness and sourness going on.

Color: Red-hued dark amber

Nose: Raisin, dried tomato

Palate: Concentrated sweet and sourness

Finish: Lasting acidity and slight bitterness

700ml, 48% abv

SINGLE MALT WHISKY YAMAZAKI PEATED MALT 2020 EDITION

The standard Yamazaki definitely offerings aren’t very peaty, but this bottle represents a chance to make it so. It’s made from only American oak barrels and hogsheads that contained the heavily peated component that makes up a very small portion of regular Yamazaki.

Color: Bright yellow gold

Nose: Smoky, peach

Palate: Softness, pineapple, smoked

Finish: Continuing aromatic peat

700ml, 48% abv

SINGLE MALT WHISKY YAMAZAKI MIZUNARA 2020 EDITION

Suntory pioneered the use of mizunara oak for maturing whisky out of necessity, as mid/post-WW2 Japan couldn’t import wood from abroad. It’s notoriously difficult to work with, but Suntory seems to have figured it out. Today mizunara oak is one of the hallmarks of Japanese whisky, and it’s usually described as sandalwood and aloes-wood aromas.

Color: Amber

Nose: Bright top notes, custard cream, cinnamon

Palate: Soft on the tongue, highly aromatic, dense sweetness

Finish: Memorable Japanese incense

700ml, 48% abv