Whiskey Review: The Yamazaki 12 Years

I received this bottle as a gift from my technician when he left the laboratory to attend graduate school.  Considering he is the second technician to buy me whiskey when they left for graduate school, I must be doing SOMETHING right.  It is The Yamazaki Single Malt 12 Year by Yamazaki Distillery.  

He said this was a very good whiskey, let's see how much he has really learned.  The color is a nice medium amber with a warm and mild smell.  So far so good.  The first taste reveals a nice smooth taste with a hint of smoke, and a warm soothing finish.  I have to say, good stuff.  A couple more sips in and I notice more of an almost floral aftertaste.  No hints of vanilla for the first time ever.  Ha.  I believe I detect hints of both fine oak and sherry barrel aging.  I am gonna look that up.  Yep.  I missed the old bourbon barrel, but got the oak and sherry.  Anyhoooooooo.  What can I say, it's really good.  So to my technician (you know who you are)...

The numbers: This was a gift, so I am not sure what was paid, but I can say it seems to run about $100 or so.  

It reminds me of...having a warm cup of tea by the fireplace on a cold winter night, except that tea is a really good whiskey.  Because seriously, if you had a choice between tea or whiskey to warm you up, is tea even a viable option?

The verdict: This is a solid whiskey.  Very good stuff, certainly not a daily thing at the price, but good enough for special occasions.  I tend to prefer those great bang for your buck buys, so this runs a bit high for me, but I think it is worth the money if you have it to spend.  

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Professional tasting notes:
thewhiskyexchange.com
masterofmalt.com