Welcome to the B&B Speakeasy Spirit of the Month!
Our selection for September 2009 will be Suntory Yamazaki Japanese Whisky!
This month we're headed to Japan for some whisky... yup, you heard that right...
No, not all whisky comes from Scotland. Although some purists might disagree, production methods and taste of Japanese whisky more closely resemble those of Scotch, and most Japanese producers follow the Scotch spelling of whisky when discussing their products. Interestingly, in some blind taste-testings, certain Japanese whiskys (including the Yamazaki) have scored higher than their Scottish competitors.
The Yamazaki distillery is the oldest distillery in Japan. It was opened by the father of Japanese whisky, Shinijiro Torii in 1923 in the misty Yamazaki valley, southwest of Kyoto.. A pharmaceutical wholesaler, the story of Yamazaki began when Torii began by selling wines at his shop and later eventually developed a taste for the various liquors available for him via import.
[imga=right]http://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/media/18294/full[/imga]The distillery introduced it's first single malt, The Shirofuda White Label, 5 years following it's opening. Much later, after the distillery had passed into the hands of Torii's son, Keiso Saji, The Yamazaki was introduced in 1984. Following renovation of the distillery in 1989, the distillery's single malt offerings consisted of an 18- and a 10-year-old through the 90's. Japanese whisky has enjoyed a surge in popularity outside Japan in recent years, and now in it's third generation of ownership, the Yamazaki distillery now produces 18- and 12-year-old expressions widely available in 25 countries, both receiving gold medals from the BTI in 2006. 10- and 25-year expressions are more rarely found. In 2005, a 50-year-old expression famously fetched 1M Yen (about $10,000 US).
The current distillery contains 12 copper stills, and the whisky is aged in a combination of Spanish, American, and Japanese Oak casks. A combination of distillers and ale yeasts is used, imparting a slightly creamy character. Fitting with the delicate balance and subtlety of flavor favored by Japanese culture, the 12-year expression is characterized as being medium-bodied and smooth with a delicate honey flavor, whereas the 18-year is darker, richer and spicier with toffee and cherry tones.
Now I want to hear from you B&B Scotch-ophiles what you think of Japanese malts! Use this thread to discuss The Yamazaki, or any of your favorite Japanese whiskys, contrast with your favorite scotch, pairings, etc... and let's ramp up the malt talk around here!
Cheers!
(and as usual, you can check back on all of our past SotM discussions by looking here)
Our selection for September 2009 will be Suntory Yamazaki Japanese Whisky!
This month we're headed to Japan for some whisky... yup, you heard that right...
No, not all whisky comes from Scotland. Although some purists might disagree, production methods and taste of Japanese whisky more closely resemble those of Scotch, and most Japanese producers follow the Scotch spelling of whisky when discussing their products. Interestingly, in some blind taste-testings, certain Japanese whiskys (including the Yamazaki) have scored higher than their Scottish competitors.
The Yamazaki distillery is the oldest distillery in Japan. It was opened by the father of Japanese whisky, Shinijiro Torii in 1923 in the misty Yamazaki valley, southwest of Kyoto.. A pharmaceutical wholesaler, the story of Yamazaki began when Torii began by selling wines at his shop and later eventually developed a taste for the various liquors available for him via import.
[imga=right]http://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/media/18294/full[/imga]The distillery introduced it's first single malt, The Shirofuda White Label, 5 years following it's opening. Much later, after the distillery had passed into the hands of Torii's son, Keiso Saji, The Yamazaki was introduced in 1984. Following renovation of the distillery in 1989, the distillery's single malt offerings consisted of an 18- and a 10-year-old through the 90's. Japanese whisky has enjoyed a surge in popularity outside Japan in recent years, and now in it's third generation of ownership, the Yamazaki distillery now produces 18- and 12-year-old expressions widely available in 25 countries, both receiving gold medals from the BTI in 2006. 10- and 25-year expressions are more rarely found. In 2005, a 50-year-old expression famously fetched 1M Yen (about $10,000 US).
The current distillery contains 12 copper stills, and the whisky is aged in a combination of Spanish, American, and Japanese Oak casks. A combination of distillers and ale yeasts is used, imparting a slightly creamy character. Fitting with the delicate balance and subtlety of flavor favored by Japanese culture, the 12-year expression is characterized as being medium-bodied and smooth with a delicate honey flavor, whereas the 18-year is darker, richer and spicier with toffee and cherry tones.
Now I want to hear from you B&B Scotch-ophiles what you think of Japanese malts! Use this thread to discuss The Yamazaki, or any of your favorite Japanese whiskys, contrast with your favorite scotch, pairings, etc... and let's ramp up the malt talk around here!
Cheers!
(and as usual, you can check back on all of our past SotM discussions by looking here)
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