🥃 Yamazaki
Yamazaki is a distillery and brand of Japanese single malt whisky near Kyoto, built by Shinjiro Torii in 1923. Yamazaki single malt dates from 1984; the owner is Suntory.
Yamazaki is the Japanese single malt whisky that began Suntory's whisky story: a distillery and brand in Shimamoto, southwest of Kyoto. It was built by Suntory's founder Shinjiro Torii; construction began in 1923 and production in 1924, near Mount Tennozan. It is Japan's first commercial malt distillery, and today it belongs to Suntory.
History. In 1920 Masataka Taketsuru returned from Scotland with knowledge of whisky making. The first Suntory whisky, Shirofuda, came out in 1929 and sold poorly because it was too smoky for Japanese tastes. A lighter Kakubin followed in 1937. The Yamazaki single malt was introduced in 1984, under Keizo Saji, Torii's second son.
How it is made. According to Difford's Guide, the distillery has six pairs of copper stills of different shapes: straight ones give a fuller spirit, rounded ones a lighter one. Casks come in five types of 180-480 litres, made of American oak, Spanish oak (about 5%) and Japanese mizunara oak (about 1%). The source says mizunara gives sweet notes of incense and citrus after long maturation, which lends the whisky a distinctly Japanese character. The spirit leaves the second still at 65-70% ABV and is diluted to 60-63% before ageing.
The range. Yamazaki 12 was launched in 1984 and the 18 in 1992, mostly from sherry casks. There are also Mizunara bottlings of 18 and 25 years, matured only in mizunara.
Why this matters to you. "Japanese whisky" long had no definition. Standards of the Japan Spirits and Liqueurs Makers Association have applied since 2021, but they are voluntary. The age on the label is the age of the youngest whisky in the bottle. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | 1923 — construction began, 1924 — production began (Shinjiro Torii, Suntory) |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Standards for Japanese Whisky (Japan Spirits and Liqueurs Makers Association, from 1 April 2021; voluntary) |
| EU category | 2 — whisky (whisky/whiskey) |
| Raw material | malted barley; water from the foot of Mount Tennozan |
| Distillation method | twice, six pairs of copper stills of different shapes; first distillation with direct heating |
| Cask type | American oak (ex-bourbon), Spanish oak (ex-sherry, ~5%), mizunara (~1%) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Yamazaki → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Previous step
- 🥃 Suntory Global Spirits
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel, 🐝 American white oak, 🍷 Sherry
- Made from
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it contains
- 🧪 Water, 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Whisky, 🥃 Japanese whisky, 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- Related to
- 🌍 East Asia
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Glenfiddich, 🥃 Johnnie Walker, 🥃 Bruichladdich, 🥃 Bruichladdich, 🥃 Aberlour, 🥃 Aberlour, 🥃 Hakushu, 🥃 Nikka, 🥃 Miyagikyo Single Malt, 🥃 Hakushu Distiller's Reserve
Frequently asked questions
Is Japanese whisky regulated like Scotch in UK and US shops?
Not in the same way. The Japanese producers' standards apply since 2021 but are voluntary, while Scotch is defined in UK law.
What do the numbers 12 and 18 on a Yamazaki label mean?
The age of the youngest whisky in the bottle. Yamazaki 12 appeared in 1984 and 18 in 1992.
What is mizunara oak?
A Japanese oak used for a small share of Yamazaki's casks, about 1% according to Difford's Guide.
How do you make a Yamazaki highball?
Serve it in a tall glass with ice and soda; the whisky is also drunk neat or over ice.
Who owns Yamazaki?
Suntory, whose founder Shinjiro Torii built the distillery.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden vessel made of oak staves in which wine matures, picks up new aromas and slowly takes in air.
- 🧪 Water — ~87% of milk.
- 🐝 American white oak — A North American oak that gives wine strong vanilla and coconut notes.
Similar
🥃 Hakushu · 🥃 Ben Nevis · 🥃 Grant's · 🥃 Benrinnes · 🥃 Dailuaine · 🥃 Auchroisk
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Difford's Guide: Suntory Yamazaki Distillery (1924, Suntory Global Spirits, six pairs of stills, casks: bourbon, Spanish oak, Mizunara; 12 from 1984, 18 from 1992)
- Difford's Guide: Suntory Yamazaki Distillery, history (Torii, 1923 construction, 1924 start, Shirofuda 1929, Kakubin 1937, single malt 1984)
- House of Suntory: Yamazaki Single Malt Japanese Whisky (1923, Shinjiro Torii; American, Spanish, Mizunara oak; Yamazaki 12 and 18)
- WHISKY Magazine: New Japanese whisky labelling standards released (Japan Spirits and Liqueurs Makers Association, announced 16.02.2021, effective 01.04.2021, voluntary)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)