Single Malt 18YO
⏳ Drinking Window
Bottled at its peak maturity after 18 years of cask aging, this spirit is ready to enjoy immediately upon release and will maintain its exceptional quality indefinitely when stored upright and away from direct light.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Seared Wagyu beef, artisanal dark chocolate, and smoked duck breast.
✨ Technical Specifications
Established in 1923 by Shinjiro Torii near Kyoto, Yamazaki is Japan's oldest commercial whisky distillery. Located at the misty confluence of the Katsura, Uji, and Kizu rivers, the distillery benefits from a unique microclimate and exceptionally soft mineral water, once praised by the legendary tea master Sen no Rikyu. The Yamazaki 18 Year Old Single Malt is a masterpiece of Japanese blending, matured for at least eighteen years in a combination of Spanish sherry casks, American white oak, and rare, porous Japanese Mizunara oak. This slow maturation process imparts a legendary complexity, weaving together rich notes of dried dark fruits, black cherry, dark chocolate, and the distinct, incense-like sandalwood finish characteristic of Mizunara wood.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1923 by Suntory founder Shinjiro Torii with technical assistance from Masataka Taketsuru, Yamazaki is the pioneer and foundational benchmark of Japanese whisky. Situated southwest of Kyoto at the foot of Mount Tennozan, the distillery occupies a tranquil river valley where the Katsura, Uji, and Kizu rivers converge. This geographic setting engenders an enduring misty microclimate, significant seasonal temperature variations, and access to exceptionally pure, soft subterranean spring water historically lauded by tea master Sen no Rikyu. Uniquely engineered to function as a self-contained ecosystem of distinct styles, Yamazaki employs diverse fermenters alongside pot stills of varied shapes, sizes, and condensation configurations. Its maturation program is celebrated for its virtuosic wood management under Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo, incorporating American oak ex-bourbon barrels, Spanish oak sherry butts, and rare indigenous Mizunara Japanese oak. The resulting single malts, led by the flagship 12, 18, and 25 Year Old expressions, are distinguished by sandalwood spice, dried fruit complexity, and aristocratic balance.