Yamazaki 12 Years Suntory Single Malt Whisky (50 ml)

品飲筆記：淡金色澄澈，先以清新的花果香打開，水蜜桃、菠蘿與柑橘皮感交織，帶出些許玫瑰、荔枝與糕點式的香氣。木質香來自日本Mizunara與其他橡木桶的融合，丁香、香草與溫潤的香料緩緩鋪陳。入口圓潤順滑，椰子、奶油、麥芽糖與少許蔓越莓點綴，尾段以甜薑與肉桂收束，煙燻感輕巧但延展性佳。
酒莊與釀造：出自日本三得利（Suntory）旗下的山崎蒸餾所，經傳統銅壺蒸餾後以美國橡木、雪莉桶與稀有的Mizunara日本橡木桶混合陳年12年。調配師以桶間平衡為核心，讓果香與木質香都能細緻呈現。
蒸餾所與環境：山崎蒸餾所座落京都近郊的山谷，水源甘冽、氣候四季分明，潮濕與溫差有助於酒液與木桶的溫和對話，造就其獨有的花果與柔順口感。
品飲建議：以純飲或加一小滴純淨水最佳，倒入杯中稍微靜置約10–20分鐘，香氣會逐步打開。口感圓潤，適合搭配帶油脂與鹹香的日式烤物、鴨胸或半甜巧克力，一起慢慢品味。

Tasting Note: Bright pure-gold colour. The nose opens with fresh orchard and tropical fruits — peach, pineapple and grapefruit — layered with floral and pastry-like notes: lychee, rosewater and candied orange. Spice and oak sit gently behind, with clove, vanilla and a hint of Mizunara’s exotic sandalwood. On the palate it’s round and silky: coconut, soft butter, barley sugar and a touch of cranberry, moving into a long, warming finish of sweet ginger and cinnamon tempered by a light smokiness.
Producer Notes: From Suntory’s Yamazaki distillery, this 12-year-old single malt is a house classic: matured in a carefully selected mix of casks (including American oak, Spanish sherry wood and Japanese Mizunara), it showcases the distillery’s focus on delicate fruit, nuanced oak and precise maturation.
Production & Maturation: Distilled on copper pot stills using traditional methods, then aged for 12 years in multiple cask types to build layered complexity. The skilled cask blending yields a balanced profile where bright fruit characters meet gentle spice and a faint savoury smoke. Bottled at 43% ABV with a T-top cork closure.
Vineyard/Distillery Notes: Yamazaki sits in a humid, mineral-rich valley near Kyoto with pristine spring water and seasonal temperature shifts—conditions that favor steady maturation and subtle interaction with oak. The site’s microclimate and water profile are key contributors to the whisky’s floral-fruited character and silky mouthfeel.
Serving Suggestion: Best enjoyed neat or with a splash of water; allow about 10–20 minutes in the glass to let aromas unfold. Pairs beautifully with grilled and umami-rich dishes or bittersweet chocolate.

Specification

• Alcohol %: 43%
• Decant Time: 15 minutes
• Taste: peach, pineapple, grapefruit, clove, candied orange, vanilla, Mizunara oak, coconut, cranberry, butter, sweet ginger, cinnamon, smoky, honey, barley sugar, floral, lychee
• Food Matching: grilled scallops with butter, seared tuna or maguro tataki, yakitori (grilled chicken skewers), miso-glazed pork or black cod, aged Manchego or Comté, dark chocolate (60–70%), smoked salmon, foie gras
• Grape Variety: Not applicable ,

Winery

山崎蒸餾所（Suntory）是日本單一麥芽的先驅，建立於20世紀初，坐落於京都近郊的山谷。這裡的泉水潔淨、季節分明，加上豐富的桶種（美國橡木、雪莉桶與稀有的Mizunara），讓酒款呈現細緻又層次豐富的風味。

The Yamazaki Distillery (Suntory) — Japan’s pioneering single malt distillery, founded in the early 20th century. Yamazaki sits at a convergence of streams near Kyoto; its access to pure spring water, varied cask stocks and a climate with marked seasonal shifts have made it central to Suntory’s reputation for refined, complex whiskies.