Brand: Yamazakura
Type: Blended Whisky
Age: 16 Years
Age: 16 Years
ABV: 40%
Chill-Filtration: Yes
Whisky Review # 589
Buying Advice:😞 Negative. Too expensive. Good alternatives available!
Colour: Light Golden (Artificially Coloured)
Chill-Filtration: Yes
Whisky Review # 589
Buying Advice:😞 Negative. Too expensive. Good alternatives available!
Colour: Light Golden (Artificially Coloured)
Nose: It almost smells like a mixture of Scotch and Bourbon. Both the Corn and the Malt are recognisable. The Alcohol is present as well and so is a whiff of Varnish at the start of the Nosing experience. It is advisable to give this Blend sufficient time in the glass. On the Nose, the Yamazakura is mainly Sweet with some Floral - and Fruity notes. I find Toasted Cereals, slightly Burnt Toast, Vanilla, Caramel, Butterscotch, Honey, Sugar, Green Wood, Resin, Plum Jam, Banana Ice Cream, Sweet Apples, Christmas Cake, Salted Nuts, Cinnamon, Lemon-Pepper, Clove, light Ginger, light Nutmeg and hints of Marzipan and Pineapple. On the Nose, the Yamakazura is somewhat similar to the Hibiki 17 Years I reviewed earlier. The Hibiki presents more balance though.
Palate: Light and Thin Delivery. Bitter-Sweet with some Sour notes towards the end. The Alcohol is not well-integrated. I find Toasted Cereals, Vanilla, Honey, Coconut, Banana, Orange, slightly Sour Cherries, Plum Jam, Lemon-Pepper, Clove, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Ginger, Licorice, Oak and Cocoa Powder.
Finish: Short and Sweet with a light Spicy/Alcohol kick. Quite Dry and slightly Bitter with some Sour Cherries in the end. I also find Toasted Cereals, Vanilla, Varnished Oak, Plum Jam, Orange Flavoured Chocolate, Red Apples, Lemon Juice, Banana, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cinnamon and light Licorice.
I added a little Water and on the Nose the Yamazakura becomes quite Floral, almost like a light Floral Perfume. Some extra Malt and Butterscotch as well. Palate and Finish become too Thin. This Blend would benefit from a slightly higher ABV.
Rating: 81.5
I added a little Water and on the Nose the Yamazakura becomes quite Floral, almost like a light Floral Perfume. Some extra Malt and Butterscotch as well. Palate and Finish become too Thin. This Blend would benefit from a slightly higher ABV.
Rating: 81.5
Nose: 21 - Taste: 20 - Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5
General Remarks: The Sasanokawa Shuzo company, based in Koriyama, Japan produces Spirits since 1765. Initially mainly Sake and Shochu but, since 1946, also Whisky. The Yamazakura (Mountain Cherry Trees) 16 Years is a limited edition and only 1992 bottles were made available to the European market. The Yamazakura Blend consists of 80% Corn and 20% Malted Barley. It matured in Ex-Bourbon barrels for 16 years, was blended in steel tanks before returning to Ex-Bourbon casks for a few months. There are some bottles available on the Internet at an average price of 150 US Dollars (January 2017).
Drinking Experience Neat: Okay
Drinking Experience Neat: Okay
Conclusion: I had expected more to be honest. The presentation and packaging are excellent and the name Yamazakura suggests a gentle, Floral character. In fact, this Blend is dominated by the Grain Alcohol that gives this Whisky a slightly Harsh profile without a lot of balance. You do get some slightly Sour Cherries though! The Nose is the best part and there are some nice Aromas to be discovered. You need to find your way around the Alcohol and Varnish though. Make sure you give this Blend lots of time in the glass to open up. The Palate and Finish are quite Thin and Short respectively. This Whisky would have benefited from a higher ABV. As it stands, the Price/Quality ratio of the Yamazakura 16 Years is inadequate. If you're looking for a nice Japanese Blend, go for the Hibiki 12 Years instead.