The Hakushu & Yamazaki 18: A Duo from Suntory

Japanese Whisky, as I have always said, holds a special place in my heart. I truly believe in the whisky the good people in Japan make, and as the country continues to recover from the horrific effects of the earthquake and tsunami, I continue to offer my best wishes for Japan and its people. In this post, I decided to talk about two whiskies that I tried a while back, both of which were superb drams that show the wizardry of Japanese distillers.

The Hakushu 18 and Yamazaki 18 are two well-received whiskies from distilleries of Suntory. Despite being the same age and both being owned by Suntory, they are extremely different but excel nonetheless in their chosen 'field' in the range of flavours that one finds in a whisky.

Name: The Yamazaki 18
Distillery: Suntory Yamazaki
Age Statement: 18
Type: Single Malt
Alc/Vol: 43%


The Yamazaki 18 has been a perennial favourite to many of the Whisky afficionadoes around the world. Serge Valentin gave it a 90, and it also won a silver medal in the Malt Maniacs Awards for 2009. It is full of flavour with the influence of the Sherry evident in both the rich colour and the flavour.

Nose: A nice open nose with notes of brandied fruit cake and a thick dollop of caramel. Notes of varnish and wood polish as well (22)

Taste/Palate: Lovely balance and grace. Initial rich fruity sweetness of cherries, followed by a woody spiciness, with a real creamy coffee and chocolate note and a slight hint of salt. (23)

Finish: Slightly short but warming with a nice lingering fruit sweetness (20)

Overall: An extremely well balanced dram that is very much proficient at what it does, and fully deserving of the plaudits that come its way (24)  89/100


Found at: The Auld Alliance, La Maison Du Whisky

Name: The Hakushu 18
Distillery: Suntory Hakushu
Age Statement: 18 Years Old
Type: Single Malt
Alc/Vol: 43%

Termed by The Whisky Exchange as a 'massive step up in quality' from its younger brother, the Hakushu 12, the Hakushu 18 is an extremely gentle yet alluring whisky from the Hakushu distillery which is known for their fruitier, gentler drams. A world away from the strong sherried Yamazakis, the Hakushu whiskies are brilliant in their own element, and the Hakushu 18 is a standard bearer for this style of whisky, garnering a 93 from Whiskycast. I personally love the Hakushu 12, so I had huge expectations for the 18, and I was not disappointed.

Nose: Light, fruity and lovely. Almost like being in an orchard filled with different fruits. Notes of apples, pears, fragrant pears, lychees with the slightest hint of peat. Amazing! (24)

Taste/Palate: Gentle and very sweet. The taste is in line with the nose, with notes of sweet juicy fragrant pears, lychees and apples, with the slightest hint of smokiness in the background. Slight notes of malt sweetness and oak are also detected. (24)

Finish: The pear sweetness continues to the end, coating the mouth in an extremely pleasant mouthfeel. Stupendous! (21)

Overall: A real winner that showcases an extremely unique and interesting style of whisky. In my humble opinion, a must try for all Japanese whisky lovers! (23) 92/100


Found At: The Auld Alliance, La Maison Du Whisky