Yamazaki 10 year old Single Malt Whisky Japan 40%

Yamazaki 10 Years Single Malt Whisky – discontinued version with yellow banderole

Yamazaki 10 Year Old Single Malt Whisky Japan

There's something about the Yamazaki 10 that feels like an old friend you haven't seen in years. Not in a sentimental way — more because it simply isn't here anymore. It's gone. And those who knew it miss it.

Behind Suntory's flagship Yamazaki distillery, founded in 1923 by Shinjiro Torii in the small village of Yamazaki between Osaka and Kyoto, lay an ambition to create a whisky that didn't just imitate Scotch single malt, but carried something of Japan with it into the glass. The location was no accident — at the confluence of the Katsura, Uji and Kizu rivers, the water is soft and pure, the climate varied with cold winters and humid, warm summers. This is where Japanese whisky began.

The Yamazaki 10 Year Old was part of the distillery's core range from the 1990s until around 2012, when Suntory gradually phased it out in favour of a NAS (no age statement) release. A decision made under the growing global pressure on Japanese whisky stocks — not least after Jim Murray's controversial crowning of the Yamazaki Sherry Cask as the world's best whisky in 2013, which triggered a surge in demand that has never truly subsided. This bottle is discontinued and today can only be sourced from private collectors' shelves and specialist auctions. An old design that rarely surfaces anymore.

Maturation takes place primarily in ex-bourbon casks of American oak, giving it the light, fruity and floral character that is Yamazaki's signature. No Mizunara intensity, no heavy sherry sweetness — this is a cleaner, more open expression of what the distillery can do.

Nose: Light and inviting from the first moment. Vanilla, peach and green apple, with a whisper of blossom and a little toasted grain in the background. Fresh and open.

Palate: Soft and round in the mouth. Caramel, apricot and a hint of cinnamon. Not as complex as the 12-year-old, but well-balanced and easy to sit with. A touch of oak towards the end.

Finish: Short to medium, with a mild and sweet fade of vanilla and gentle fruit sweetness. No sharp or angular finish.

Fruity · Floral · Creamy · Vanilla · Oaky

Name: Yamazaki 10 Year Old Single Malt Whisky
Distillery: Yamazaki Distillery (Suntory)
Region/Country: Shimamoto, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
Type: Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 700 ml
Cask Type: Ex-Bourbon, American Oak
Edition: Standard (discontinued approx. 2012–2015)

Investment potential: High. The Yamazaki 10 is discontinued and available in very limited quantities exclusively through auctions and private collectors. Bottles in good condition with original box typically trade at several times the original retail price, and global demand for Japanese whisky shows no signs of easing. A bottle in good condition with its original box will only become rarer.

Did you know? The Yamazaki distillery was the first commercial malt whisky distillery in Japan, opening in 1923 — the same year many Scottish distilleries were celebrating their centenary. One of its first key figures was Masataka Taketsuru, the man who later founded Nikka Whisky and is today regarded as the "father of Japanese whisky."

See our full range of Yamazaki

Suntory Yamazaki 10 Year Old 70cl / 40% Japanese Single Malt Whisky Distillery Bottling Hard to find whisky from Yamazaki, this one is 10 years old