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Buy Yamazaki whisky? Find the best whisky at Tasting Collection.
The first Japanese whisky distillery
Yamazaki is the oldest commercial whisky distillery in Japan. In 1923 it was Shinjiro Torii, the founder of Suntory, who built the distillery just outside the capital Kyoto. This location was chosen due to the excellent water supply, but also because there is a diverse climate with relatively cold winters and warm summers with high humidity.
During the first ten years of its existence, Yamazaki was run by Masataka Taketsuru. This legend is also seen as the 'Father of Japanese whisky' and is also the founder of another great Japanese whisky brand, Nikka. Taketsuru actually wanted to build the distillery in Hokkaido because the climate there resembles Scotland more, but his boss called him back.
Awards and Prizes
Still, under Taketsuru's leadership, the foundation for the modern Japanese whisky industry was laid in Kyoto. Yamazaki is still seen as the pinnacle of Japanese whisky. It is also the most popular Japanese single malt whisky. The 18-year-old Yamazaki single malt, for example, won a double gold medal at the San Francisco Spirits Competition six years in a row. That is an unprecedented success!
One of the most notable awards that Yamazaki ever won was presented in 2013 by Jim Murray. This whisky writer publishes his popular Whisky Bible every year. And that year, he awarded the Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask with the title of 'Whisky of the Year'. This led to a huge rush for Japanese whisky and Yamazaki in particular. So much so that there was a shortage of Japanese whisky in the following years.
Whisky Styles
The production at Yamazaki (and many Japanese distilleries) differs from Scottish distilleries. Not so much because the production process is very different, but precisely because at one distillery a multitude of different styles of whisky is made. In Scotland, Loch Lomond actually the only distillery that does that.
Where it is common in Scotland for distilleries to exchange whisky for their blends, this does not happen in Japan. Therefore, it is necessary to distill different whisky styles so that blends can still be made. At Yamazaki, there are therefore all kinds of different stills in the boiler room. Some are long, others short. Some have modern condensers, others a traditional worm tub.
Buy Yamazaki Whisky online
Yamazaki is the flagship of parent company Suntory. It offers a surprisingly smooth yet profound introduction to Japanese single malt whisky. Yamazaki is a whisky with a lot of fruit and notes of Mizunara, a rare Japanese oak species. Ordering from Tasting Collection is very simple and only takes a few moments. With us, you are in good hands for getting your bottle from this historic Japanese distillery.
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