Yamazaki Distiller's Reserve Japanese Whisky
Yamazaki Distiller's Reserve Japanese Whisky is Suntory's entry into the legendary Yamazaki range — a non-age-statement single malt from Japan's first and oldest malt distillery, vatting whisky matured in American oak, Spanish sherry oak, rare Japanese Mizunara oak and Bordeaux wine casks, bottled at 43% ABV (86 proof). Launched in 2014 when age-statement Yamazakis ran scarce, it delivers the distillery's signature fruit-driven elegance in a single glass. Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 43% (86 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Style: non-age-statement (NAS) Japanese single malt
- Distillery: Yamazaki Distillery, Osaka Prefecture, Japan — founded 1923 by Shinjiro Torii; House of Suntory
- Casks: American oak, Spanish sherry oak, Japanese Mizunara oak, Bordeaux wine casks (younger Bordeaux-matured + older sherry/mizunara components)
- Launched: 2014
From Japan's First Malt Distillery
The Yamazaki Distillery sits in the misty valley on the outskirts of Kyoto, where three rivers meet — a site Shinjiro Torii chose in 1923 for its pure water and humid climate. Distiller's Reserve is the whisky Suntory built to carry Yamazaki's heritage when the age-stated 12, 18 and 25 became collector's trophies: hand-picked casks, including Bordeaux-wine-matured malt alongside older sherry and precious Mizunara oak (a wood so porous and difficult to work that only Japan uses it at scale). The result is Yamazaki in miniature — strawberry and cherry fruit, honeyed malt, and that incense-like spice only Mizunara delivers. Browse Yamazaki, explore Japanese whisky, or contrast it with the umeshu-cask-finished Akashi 4 Year Old.
Tasting Notes
Nose: bright and aromatic — strawberry, cherry, ripe peach and delicate florals over vanilla, honey and subtle Mizunara spice. Palate: silky and balanced — raspberry, white peach, coconut and vanilla giving way to cinnamon, gentle oak and the distinctive incense-like complexity of Japanese oak. Finish: clean and elegant, lingering with vanilla, cinnamon, sweet fruit and sandalwood.
How to Enjoy
Neat or with a single drop of water in a Glencairn to open the cask complexity. Makes a superb Japanese highball with cold soda and lemon — or a refined Mizuwari over ice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Mizunara oak?
A rare Japanese oak prized for incense, sandalwood and spice notes; difficult to cooper, used almost exclusively in Japanese whisky.
Is Yamazaki Distiller's Reserve an age statement whisky?
No — it's a non-age-statement (NAS) blend of casks including older sherry and Mizunara components.
Where is Yamazaki whisky made?
At the Yamazaki Distillery in Osaka Prefecture, Japan — the country's first malt whisky distillery, founded in 1923.
Japan's most celebrated distillery, in its most approachable bottle — Yamazaki Distiller's Reserve ships from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.