NV Suntory Yamazaki 25 Year Old Japanese Single Malt Whiskey

"Led by Suntory’s world renowned chief blender, Shinji Fukuyo, the new Yamazaki 25 moves away from a focus on sherry cask aged vintages and toward a more varied approach to oak types. The new expression includes liquid aged in American Oak, Spanish Oak, and to fans’ delight, Japanese Mizunara Oak. While Suntory’s Yamazaki Sherry Cask releases are some of the most sought after Japanese whiskies in existence, the new 25-Year-Old expression will likely draw in a larger audience, through the balance of notes that come from maturation in different types of oak. Spice from the Spanish Oak, sweetness from the ex-Bourbon Casks, and Eastern incense and spice from the Mizunara, to name a few. As every drop in the bottle must be at least 25 years of age, each oak type should have a chance to shine through... The notes of the new expression sound delightful with a nose full on incense, spice, and citrus notes of persimmons and oranges. The palate delivers the well known sandalwood notes from the Mizunara with continued orange, persimmon, and some Japanese Yuzu notes. The spice and a touch of ginger lead to a long finish packed with spice, some sweetness, and a hint of smoke. The new release features a new box and label, which is handcrafted using mulberry Echizen paper produced ‘via a slow process of drying on wood boards (a traditional Japanese method)." George Koutsakis, Forbes July 2021