10 Feb Whisky Wednesday: Suntory Whisky Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2016

It’s a special Whisky Wednesday today because we’ve got our hot little hands on a very exciting, new-to-the-market whisky to share with you all!

Suntory Whisky’s highly-anticipated follow-up to its Whisky Bible-toppling Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013 has arrived at Tokyo Bird. Introducing this year’s Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2016, freshly landed from Japan.

Whisky: Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2016
Distiller: Suntory Whisky
Country: Yamazaki, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
Type: Single malt whisky
ABV: 48.0%

Colour (what does it look like?):
Dark brown

Nose (what does it smell like?):
Raisin, sun-dried tomato, clove, cocoa

Palate (what does it taste and feel like?):
Deep, rich, sweet and sour, chocolate with hazelnuts

Finish (how does the flavour finish on the palate?):
Long, bittersweet, sour

Background

In 2015, Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible awarded Suntory Whisky’s Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013 the accolade of “World Whisky of the Year”. As expected, the world went nuts for it and the award catapulted the Yamazaki brand into the global spotlight – and the rest is modern history, culminating in the current shortage of most age statement Yamazaki single malts, even the previously ‘standard’ Yamazaki 12 year old.

On the back of this worldwide, runaway success, Suntory has created and delivered the Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2016. Only 246 bottles are available for sale in retailers and bars in Australia – and we’re delighted to be one of the bars stocking it.

The 2016 edition incorporates the same whiskies that created the award-winning 2013’s base, with an additional two years of maturation as well as the addition of various, rare sherry cask single malt whiskies – some of which are over 25 years old.

Created by Suntory Chief Blender (and great-grandson of founder Shinjiro Torii) Shinji Fukuyo, the components of the Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2016 have been chosen from over 100 malt whiskies from the Yamazaki distillery. Fukuyo has only selected caskings that hold a delicate balance of chemistry between the Yamazaki malt and the sherry cask.

Sherry cask whisky has been a staple of the Suntory Whisky portfolio since 1924; a year after the distillery began construction. Founder Torii started making Suntory Whisky in sherry casks imported from southern Spain, which he had originally used to blend his famous Akadama Sweet Wine. Today, Chief Blender Fukuyo visits the Northern region of Spain himself to ensure that it is his selection of Spanish oak to be sent to the bodegas or sherry wineries to be made into sherry casks and used to store Oloroso Sherry.

Fukuyo carefully oversees this entire process, from the selection and making of the casks, to the charring, and the aging of their sherry. After three years of aging, the sherry casks are sent back to Suntory Whisky, ready for Yamazaki single malt whisky.

Best drinking

Neat.

What do you think?

Leave a comment with your thoughts on Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2016 or come try it at Tokyo Bird tonight! Mention #WhiskyWednesdays to get free bar snacks with your Whisky of the Week (Wednesdays only).