The 2022 Yamazaki Limited Edition Tsukuriwake Selection consists of four expressions — mizunara, peated malt, puncheon, and Spanish oak.
99 years ago in the sleepy suburbs of Yamazaki in Osaka, Shinjiro Torii had a brainwave — how could he take the age-old tradition of Scottish whisky but propel it into the future with a Japanese sensibility. The latter, however, was what Torii had to consider including the geographical differences between the two countries beyond culture, components, and the public’s confidence in a local product.
With a stroke of kismet, the four considerations solved themselves. Japan’s geographical differences — hotter and more humid summers that create ideal conditions for cask aging for example — meant that the Suntory distillery (Sun in reference to Akadama, a type of red soil, and Tory, the anglicised version of Torii’s name) had to observe Sekki (the 24 macro-and-micro seasons of the country) which in turn, lends the whisky it produces a deeper complexity.
For culture, Suntory’s first whisky was launched during a period of rapid urbanisation that came with a more liberal way of life. Torii too hired Masataka Taketsuru, a Japanese chemist who’d studied whisky production in Scotland.
The components and procuring of public confidence, however, came from the resources Torii was steadfast about when he built the Yamazaki Distillery. The distillery itself is able to draw the purest and most high-quality groundwater: “soft” which meant that it was free from dissolved salts of such metals as calcium, iron, or magnesium, and as for cultivating confidence, its packaging features calligraphic lettering. A vintage but appealing vibe for a younger generation and something nostalgically beautiful for the older.
The Yamazaki Distillery in Spring.
Before we talk about the 2022 Yamazaki Limited Edition Tsukuriwake Selection, we have to explain what makes Japanese whisky itself special. In contrast to the sometimes shifting rules of what is considered scotch or bourbon, Japanese whisky ever only has one rule in general. It must be made in Japan from the production of its ingredients down to the handling of its blending. In context, the latter allows Japanese whisky distilleries to produce a wider range of expressions as compared to Scottish whisky.
Of course, different distilleries in Japan have their own directives. Some focus on producing softer and more nuanced expressions (in general, Japanese whisky is reputed for its floral and fragrant notes) while others are exacting down to what their makers ingest. For example, they tend to eat the same food every day and are prohibited from smoking or eating “flavourful” food before tasting the whisky they make.
In Yamazaki’s case, every expression ties back to Torii’s two famous quotes. “Failing is fine. just don’t make the same mistake again” — an implication that inspires invention and “If you enjoy it, do your best. All you need to do is follow through” — joy can be derived from even the simplest things.
The 2022 Yamazaki Limited Edition Tsukuriwake Selection — Tsukuriwake itself referring to artisanship through a diversity of making — then reflects everything Torii set out to do: distilling a single malt (or four, actually) like no other, providing true diversity in flavour and entertaining the tastebuds of whisky enthusiasts.
Matured in oak casks originating from Northern Spain, the Yamazaki Spanish Oak Single Malt Whisky adds even more layers to the Yamazaki Single Malt — a palate that is delicately rich and decadent as the high-quality casks themselves act as an “enabler”. Its gorgeous amber hue is a shade signifier of its taste: dried raisins and prunes on the nose, a palate that has some subtle acidity and a finish that is buttery with a lingering acidity and the right dose of bitterness.
With the Yamazaki Mizunara Single Malt Whisky, the whisky undergoes a long maturation in Mizunara casks (the Mizunara wood itself is one of the rarest and most expensive types of oak in the world) that distills it with a distinctive Japanese spiciness in a finish that’s clasically Yamazaki. Rich and elegant. What one can finesse before the finish however, is a custard cream and cinnamon note that smokes out into a Japanese incense note on the finish.
In the skilled hands of the Yamazaki whisky makers, the heavily heated malted barley used for the Yamazaki Peated Malt Single Malt Whisky produces a gentle and refined taste. Subtly smokey and earthy on the nose (breathe deep for a herbacious hit of green), its bright gold liquid comes gently peated on the palate with hints of pineapple and citrus notes. Its finish however, has great depth — deep with a lingering peatiness that’s slightly sweet and earthy.
The word puncheon in the Yamazaki Puncheon Single Malt Whisky is a reference to selected malts aged exclusively using the barrels crafted by Suntory’s artisans from American oak. Its capacity — approximately 480 liters — means that the whisky matures more slowly which imbues it with complexity and vibrance: an opulent pale gold liquid that has a nose of green apple, mature pear, acacia honey with a hint of vanilla, a palate that’s sweet with butterscotch and a finish of oaky woodiness and subtle sweetness.
Sold individually or as a set of four, the next delight in discovery depends on how you want to drink it. Mizuwari style ( equal parts whisky to mineral water), over ice, as a high ball, neat or with just a splash of soft mineral water, just remember that another joy is in sharing it. Or you can drink it according to what it was meant to be developed for: a happy occasion.
The 2022 Yamazaki Limited Edition Tsukuriwake Selection is available at select The Whisky Distillery stores and www.WinesNSpirits.sg from August 2022.
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