Tasting Notes: Yamazaki 18 Year

Yamazaki 18 Year (Japanese Single Malt Whisky: 43% ABV)

Visual: Enriched bronzed: The colour of steamwork wonders.

Viscosity: Slow, thick trails which take their time to form.

Nose: Sherried notes from ensaturated wood. Thick gloopy chocolate sponge laden in syrup. Shortbread. Battenberg and almonds.

Body: Wine soaked raisins. Christmas dessert being cooked in the oven. More of the biscuits. A slight alcohol kick. Water brings out spices, livelier notes and more pronounced grapes.

Finish: Light vanilla, warm saturation like a sweet sauna of alcohol haze. Sultanas.

Conclusion: A heavily sherry influenced whisky and all the better for it. Rich sweet and full bodied with spice and a firm kick.

Not a light conversational whisky but one with presence. Definitely one for those who like their whisky with a fruit cake or dessert – a good replacement for desert wine.

Give this to those who doubt that nihonjin can turn out a whisky that can match the scotch.