Est. 1923 • Yamazaki, near Kyoto, Japan

Yamazaki

"Japan's first single malt"

Yamazaki is the single malt from Suntory's Yamazaki distillery, built in 1923 on the edge of Kyoto and the oldest malt whisky distillery in Japan. It sits where three rivers meet, on soft water long prized for tea. The house style is delicate and honeyed, with orchard fruit, a light floral lift and a gentle incense note from maturation in Mizunara, the native Japanese oak. It is the whisky that set the template for Japanese single malt.

1923

Founded

Japan

Country

Near Kyoto

Home

Mizunara oak

House Style

Where Japanese Single Malt Began

The distillery that set the template

Yamazaki was built in 1923 by Shinjiro Torii, the founder of Suntory, on the outskirts of Kyoto. It is the oldest malt whisky distillery in Japan. The site sits where three rivers meet, on soft water that had been valued for tea long before whisky was made there.

The house style is delicate rather than heavy. Expect honey, ripe orchard fruit and a light floral lift, with a gentle spice and a faint incense note that comes from maturation in Mizunara, the native Japanese oak. That Mizunara character is the signature people reach for, a soft sandalwood and coconut edge you do not find in Scotch.

To see how the spirit is made, read our guide to how whisky is made, and browse the wider Japanese whisky catalogue.

The Range

How the core Yamazaki bottlings sit against each other, everyday to collector

The everyday introduction

Yamazaki (no age statement)

The softest way into the house style. Honey, ripe orchard fruit and a light floral note over a smooth, gentle body. A good first pour before you climb the range.

The classic single malt

Yamazaki 12 Year Old

The bottle that made the name. Honey, peach and dried apricot with a whisper of coconut and a warm, spiced finish drawn from the Mizunara oak.

The step up

Yamazaki 18 Year Old

More years in cask build depth. Dark dried fruit, stewed plum and sandalwood over a fuller, rounded body, with the sherry-cask influence more pronounced.

The collector's pour

Yamazaki 25 and rare releases

The oldest and scarcest bottlings. Deep, resinous and layered, with polished oak, dried fruit and that unmistakable incense-like Mizunara signature. Slow, occasion sipping.

How to Drink It

Yamazaki rewards a light touch. Pour it neat into a tulip glass and let it sit for a minute, then add a drop of water to open the honey and orchard fruit. It also makes a fine highball, long over ice with cold soda, which is how it is most often served in Japan and which lifts the delicate, floral side of the malt.