Yamazaki 12. Obviously hyped, and prices are soaring even for the 12-year-old. Let's not even mention the 18, shall we? Very Instagram-friendly whiskies, it seems. Knowing that, how does it actually hold up where it matters?
0.6 (Old Gold)
Nose
Fruity and floral at first whiff. Fabric softener. Fruits seem to be of the tropical kind. Nice and gentle until you stick your nose really deep into the glass and perhaps find some hints of paper glue. Not too bad, but it's there.
Palate
Quite quick arrival with some thick texture on the tongue that fades away quickly. Overall very light and airy mouthfeel, it does not fill the palate in any way. A bit peppery, but lacking some flavor.
Finish
Dry, floral, grassy and more fragrances. I'd like some more fruity sweetness to make it a bit fuller and balanced. Leaves with notes of tea and a little grapefruit.
Nah, I don't know. It's a nice and gentle dram for sure, but I'll be very clear - it is not worth the (current) price. There are simply so much more good 12-somethings you can get for half the price out there, so do that instead unless you really enjoy collecting and don't see a whisky bubble coming up soon! Maybe I'm just not into dry and fragrance-y whiskies as I've certainly dissed those before, but it's pretty clear that the hype about Japanese whiskies doesn't just come from the quality of the liquid.
Score
68 / 100
0-50 Subpar
51-60 Drinkable
61-70 Decent
71-80 Good
81-90 Great
91-100 Fantastic
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