Single Malt Single Cask Sherry Butt No AX70053 (((Bottled 2008)))
⏳ Drinking Window
Unlike wine, bottled single malt whisky does not mature further in glass. It is at its peak upon release and, if stored upright away from direct light and heat, can be enjoyed over several decades.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Rich dark chocolate desserts, slow-roasted duck breast, or mature blue cheeses.
✨ Technical Specifications
Yamazaki Distillery, founded in 1923 by Shinjiro Torii near Kyoto, is the birthplace of Japanese whisky. This legendary site was chosen for its exceptional water quality—celebrated by tea master Sen no Rikyu—and its humid climate, which accelerates oak interaction. This specific release, a single cask bottled in 2008 from Sherry Butt No. AX70053, showcases Yamazaki's mastery of Spanish oak maturation. The single cask format represents an unblended, pure expression of a single sherry butt, imparting deep mahogany hues, intense notes of dried dark fruits, rich cacao, and exotic spices.
🍾 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.