On Thursday, Suntory announced the release of Yamazaki 25 Years Old Mizunara, and the whisky is the oldest expression to see the full maturation process in Mizunara oak within Yamazaki’s history. The brand shared that other expressions with higher age statements, like Yamazaki 55 Years Old, have only spent a portion of their life maturing in Mizunara Oak.
The whisky clocks in at 48% ABV and hosts a suggested retail price of $7,500 — yet realistically, the whisky will probably fetch significantly higher prices on the secondary market. Interested parties can purchase the collector’s whisky from specialized retailers. The offering features a bottle of Yamazaki 25 housed in a handmade box that implements Japan’s “locking” method. The “locking” method is used by craftsmen in woodworking to eliminate the need for nails and glue. According to Suntory, Yamazaki chose this method for the whisky’s protective case to pay homage to its heritage.
Suntory claims that Yamazaki 25 Years Old Mizunara features aromas of nutmeg and cardamom, coupled with a bittersweet and spicy flavor layered with citrus and cream. The Mizunara oak imbues the whisky with an herbaceous quality, which is typical of that cask choice.
Suntory shared that Yamazaki 25 Years Old achieves all the regulations for the Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association’s standards of authentic Japanese whisky. SevenFifty Daily reported that the laws passed in September 2024, after increased calls for action regarding transparency and authenticity requirements within the category.
The Whiskies Within the House of Suntory
Suntory possesses three whisky distilleries within Japan: Yamazaki, Hakushu and Chita. As far as Hakushu is concerned, water appears to be critical to the Japanese whisky brand’s production process, and Hakushu sources its water from filtered snowmelt from Japan’s Southern Alps. The brand’s whiskies have a high-toned and lifted profile, and it specializes in peated malts.
Chita, Suntory’s grain whisky producer, implements mostly corn in its mashbill. Suntory shares it initially used Chita’s whiskies as “dashi” or “broth” to enhance its other blended whiskies. Yet the brand realized it was missing an opportunity and decided to give this distinctive grain whisky a chance to shine all on its own. Chita’s whiskies spend time aging in a mixture of wine, Spanish Oak and American White Oak casks.
Yamazaki has been working with Mizunara oak since the 1940s, according to the brand, and this type of oak is closely linked to its house style. The oak species has a reputation for being challenging to work with, due to its fine grain. Yet the rewards are worth the extra work, and the oak species often imbues a whisky with sandalwood and herbaceous characteristics.
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