Suntory Burai-Ha - Wild, but...

It's really named like that. A blended whisky released by Suntory in 1998. 40% vol. The bottle has a fancy metallic cover.

• Nose: Initial alcohol bite, green grass, raw green beans
• Mouth: Light...
• Finish: A bit of glue, cardboard, a tad of oak

Comments: Too young and unbalanced

74 points

Suntory Royal SR

One of the Suntory Royal variants, this one is without age statement. 43% vol.

• Nose: Smokey, Tobacco but fairly subtle in general
• Mouth: Fairly bland...
• Finish: Bitter oak, corked wine, hay

Comment: Really not much going on here, the finish reminds more more of corked wine than anything. Would not recommed.

65 points

(1990s...)

Yamazaki Limited Edition 2014

The Yamazaki Limited Edition 2014, so far released exclusively in Japan replaced the other Yamazaki NAS special releases for 2014. This one was aged in Sherry, Port and American oak cast with ages up to 20 years or so.
Bottled with 43% vol. and sold for a for Japanese whisky nowadays very reasonably price of around 65€.

• Nose: Honey melon, red berries, Katjes Tropenfrüchte - gummies with tropical fruit flavor, green grass, Sherry (PX'ish)
• Nose: Light oak, grassy, malt and berries
• Finish: Malt, fruits, sugar syrup, sherry, a moderate amount of oak, not overly long

Comment: A lovely NAS Yamazaki, rather fruity and well integrated all around. Maybe here and there a hint of harshness of some younger whisky shimmers trough. The for Yamazaki very unusual Port cask is very well integrated. While it works very well at 43% I think a little bit more wouldn't have harmed.

87 points

Yamazaki Distiller's Reserve

So I finally got around to taste the more or less recently released Yamazaki Distiller's Reserve. This NAS bottling replaced the 10 year old Yamazaki in the lineup. Bottled at 43% vol.

• Nose: Not overly sweet - some light sugar water and flower nectar, unripe apricot, a tiny little bit alcohol, grain, fresh sourdough bread,
• Mouth: Creamy and moderately oily, not too much body, a bit hay and meadow flowers maybe
• Finish: Slightly sour yellow fruits, very fresh, hints of oak, green vegetables ...celery sticks, spinach, sugar water

Comment: A lovely light and easy to drink whisky. Ideal for to enjoy during a mild summer night - too bad it's winter right now. Comparing it directly to the 12yo Yamazaki - the next step up in the lineup the 12 year old is much more full bodied in the mouth with more oak in the profile and much rounder as a whole package. But it's a worthwhile replacement for the discontinued Yamazaki 10yo.

81 points

(2014)

Suntory Old

Suntory Old Whisky. This blend was the first big success for Suntory, released in the 1950s. Prior Suntory whiskies where the white label single malt (1929) and the Kakubin (1937) blend. Bottled with 43° vol.

• Nose: Alcoholic bite, green bananas, grain, sweet and floral, sugar water
• Mouth: Sweet caramel, Kellogg's Smacks cereals, mild
• Finish: Short, sweet, some light tannins, alcohol

Comment: This has the typical young cheap'ish blend characteristics, but underneath the sweet caramel lingers some fairly decent but flawed/too young whisky. Not that bad for what it is thou.

74 points
(~2013)

Hakushu Sherry Cask - NAS (2013)

And here we go with the 2013 release of the Hakushu Shery Cask. Unfortunately I didn't have the chance to try the 2012 release so this is my first with the Hakushu Sherry Cask NAS. Bottled as ususal at 48% vol with no chill filtration.

• Nose: Lots of oloroso sherry, dry oak dried plums and cherries, umeboshi candy, with water a bit peppery
• Mouth: Sherry, spices, thick and oily
• Finish: Sherry, some light oak, oranges and chocolate, light tannins, chocolate cookies, still oily like milk

Comment: Maybe not the most complex but very enjoyable. Absolute sherry bomb.

87 points

Hakushu Heavily Peated - NAS (2013)

From the 2013 Suntory limited NAS line this years Hakushu Heavily Peated. Non chill filtered and bottled at 48% vol.

• Nose: Peaty with smoke, peat sweetness, molasses, sandalwood, with water a bit grassy-green and honey melon. A bit hot on the nose without water.
• Mouth: Sugary sweet peat, but also dominating peat which overpowers other more subtle flavors, medium oily and a tad medical, pepper
• Finish: Peat, grassy sweet, pepper and spice, brine, lingering peat sweetness at the very end.

Comment: The peat is fairly overpowering, also quite spicy with pepper. Generally I think the peat and pepper is too dominating and unbalances the whisky a bit. Still a good whisky although not for everyone.

82 points

Suntory Royal 12yo

This Suntory Royal is from the 80's or 90's I believe with the 12yo age statement quite hidden engraved at the bottom of the bottle. I'm not really sure if this is a blend or really just differently marketed Yamazaki single malt, but I couldn't find anything definite so I'll assume this is a blend. Bottled at 43%. Also there are a few different bottle variations of this one out there.

• Nose: Celery, a little honey, green grass and a little bit alcohol
• Mouth: Quite mild and subdued, oily
• Finish: Very mild again, with some malt, carrots and some nuttiness at the end. Generally quite short.

Comment: This tastes young than it is with rather subdued flavors. The vegetable notes are a bit unusual.

78 points

(1980~1990?)

Yamazaki 2000 Whisky Shop W. 3rd. Aniv. #EO70049

An anniversary bottling for the Suntory W. Whisky Shop in Osaka. Aged in Spanish sherry butts for 13 years and bottled with 59% vol. You can read a bit more about the bottling on Nonjatta.

• Nose: Very light smoke with tons of sherry, some glue, oak and a bit walnut. With water you get oranges, prunes and some mint.
• Mouth: light oak, clean oloroso sherry
• Finish: Sherry, warm and oily, quite a long finish with oak and other woods at the very end

Comment: Almost as usual an excellent sherry Yamazaki that tastes older than it is.

90 points

Hakushu 2000 - 2012 Cask #EL41357

An around 12 years old Hakushu single cask aged in a hogshead cask. Bottled at 61% vol cask strength.

• Nose: Peat, smoke, ashes, some dry ashy oak, honey, peat sweetness, dry grass
• Mouth: Peat, a lot of licorice (root) and a mix of different woods and spiced tea
• Finish: Long and warm with licorice again. Peat and smoke with some malt and vanilla.

Comment: Rather unusual Hakushu with the strong licorice note, but I like it a lot. Quite punchy with a high abv. and strong flavors all around.

87 points

Yamazaki Bourbon Barrel - NAS (2013)

The 2013 version of the Yamazaki Bourbon Barrel. Bottled at 48% vol. and with imited bottle output like with all Suntory yearly releases.

• Nose: Dry oak, lots of honey, slightly grassy and floral, with water more fruity sweetness and molasses
• Mouth: Honey, slight oak, grassy and malty
• Finish: Warm and long with honey and sweet oak

Comment: Very enjoyable. Maybe not the most complex Yamazaki but sweet and immensely drinkable with no faults.

86 points

Yamazaki Mizunara - NAS (2013)

The 2013 version of the now annual special Suntory releases. This one has aged for an unknown time in Mizunara (Japanese oak) casks. Bottled at 48% vol.

• Nose: Exotic fruits - especially papaya!, vanilla, marzipan, sweet juicy oak and tobacco, some of the sandal wood. Water makes it a bit more harsh with tannins and resin
• Mouth: Oak, honey, some light sandalwood - water adds some tannins
• Finish: Warm and sweet with honey and some light sandalwood again. Water results in tannins and resin again with the feel of a pine forest

Comment: Quite excellent with a great nose and rich flavor. Water is rather detrimental in my opinion and primarily adds harshness. Maybe could have used some more time in the cask(s) and certainly on the expensive side for a NAS bottling...

87 points

Yamazaki Puncheon - NAS (2013)

And for today I tasted the Yamazaki Puncheon with no age statement with 48% vol. I already tried the 2012 and 2010 versions and I despite the for some maybe a bit unexciting Puncheon cask I quite liked it.

• Nose: Pears, oak, apple-pear juice, slightly lemon zest, honey, some beeswax
• Mouth: Very oily, wax
• Finish: Grassy with spices, pepper, still very oily, cereals

Comment: I liked this one better than the 2012 version I think. Very oily all around and quite fruity as well.

86 points

Yamazaki Sherry Cask - NAS (2013)

This years (2013) edition of the much beloved Yamazaki Sherry cask. Bottled at 48% vol. with no age statement and dark Oloroso sherry color. Usually sold out pretty quick.

• Nose: Oloroso sherry, a touch mint, some light oak and grass, prunes, umeboshi
• Mouth: Sherry, thick and creamy, water brings out quite a bit of oiliness, cherry with berries marmalade
• Finish: Warm, sherry, red grape juice, some light oak and bark

Comment: A flawless straightforward sherry beast. A few drops water work pretty well. Although the price increased over previous installments it is still very good value.

89 points

Yamazaki 1999-2012 Puncheon #DQ70030

A seemingly Japan only single cask Yamazaki aged for 13 years in a puncheon cask. Bottled at 58%.

• Nose: Very bourbon'ish on the first sniff, honey, wax, fresh cut grass, with some water light oak and dry
• Mouth: Wax, dry, honey
• Finish: Honey, honey cake, light christmas cake, plenty spices, long

Comment: While the honey is not overly dominant it's always there. Quite enjoyable and it had more depth than I expected.

85 points

Yamazaki 25

The Yamazaki 25 is quite a premium bottle and the last of the affordable standard bottlings for Yamazaki with the 35yo and the 50yo being beyond good and evil in pricing.
Bottled at 43% vol.

• Nose: Sherry, prunes, ripe cherries, oak, honey, sandalwood, whiffs of methanol and mint
• Mouth: Sherry, chocolate
• Finish: Dry oak, long, sherry and cherry, quite fruity at the very end, some tobacco and tannins

Comment: Fantastic nose with lots of depth, but the meager 43% really hold the mouth and finish down with both feel a tad weak and watery

88 points

(2013) - but I have no idea from when the bottle was. I think it gets released in batches...

Yamazaki 1996 - 2009 - 12yo Whisky Live! Japan #AX 70012

Another Suntory, this time a Yamazki, bottled for the Whisky Live! expo.
This 12 year old Yamazaki was aged in a sherry butt and bottled at a solid 60% vol.

• Nose: Dry sherry, dry oak, red fruits, rose hip, milk chocolate, oak, with water the nose is dryer with more oak
• Mouth: Sherry, chocolate, oak
• Finish: Sherry, oak, red fruits, warm & long, with water a touch tanins

Comment: A quite good sherry Yamazaki that feels older than the 12 years :). Very drinkable even at 60% and I think this one works better undiluted.

88 points

 

Hakushu 1997 - 2009, 12yo, Whisky Live! Japan #BJ 41521

This twelve year old single cask Hakushu was bottled for Whisky Live! Japan in 2009. At cask strength with 56% and matured in a hogshead cask.

• Nose: Subdued oak, plenty fruity, acacia honey, flowery-grassy with hay
• Mouth: fruity and grassy, honey + pepper, light oak
• Finish: Short'ish but clean. Very light oak, sugar, floral with pepper

Comment: Clean and simple but quite enjoyable. Feels more Scottish than Japanese in my opinion.

81 points

Suntory Hibiki 21

Today's tasting notes are for the Suntory Hibiki 21 year old blend. Bottled at 43% vol. and recently also available in Europe.

For reference also check out my notes on the Hibiki 12 and Hibiki 17.

• Nose: Rum-raisins, christmas spices, thick, mild oak, a hint of mint, cedar wood, tobacco
• Mouth: Sandalwood, cedarwood, spices, dry oak
• Finish: A wide array of woods again mirroring those in nose and mouth, tobacco, medium long, hints of bitterness 

Comments: A fantastic blend of different woods, not overpowering but well balanced. An excellent blend and probably (definitely) the best blend I tasted so far. The finish could be longer and more powerful for a 90s score.

89 points
(2012)

Yamazaki Puncheon - NAS (2010)

This Yamazaki is a limited release from 2010 bottled at 48% without chill filtration. It was matured in large 480 liter puncheon casks which should theoretically allow for slower maturation. The bottle comes with no age statement however. There is also a 2011 release with the year mentioned on the box and front label, but that release is Japan exclusive so far.
My tasting notes for this one:

• Nose: Honey, beeswax, hay, sweet buttery flowers (kingcup), very thick although with a light profile, some slight pepper, a little bit wood influence reminiscent of dry tree bark, with a bit water the nose gets some juicy fruitiness
• Mouth: Sweet, beautiful honey notes, cereals, very smooth and quite oily
• Finish: Medium long with some vanilla, a bit oak, a tiny bit peat?, Kellogs Smacks, malt, at the very end fruits again with apple, pears and apricots

Comment: Very well balanced and rounded. The nose is a bit hard to make sense of on first nosing but enjoyable nonetheless. 

86 points