Japan – 43%ABV – 750ml –  $80-100 | £60 | €73

I’ll get right to the point here, I loves me some Japanese whisky.  Yamazaki 12yr?  Loved it.  Nikka Yoichi 12yr?  Can I have more?  The Yamazaki Sherry cask?  I will sin for you.  Nikka Yoichi 20yr 1988 vintage?  Sweet fancy Moshe!!

This is the tip of the iceberg.  Here’s my next new love – The Yamazaki 18yr – a fine sherried whisky.

On the nose – Delicious sherried nose. Spicy as all hell with bursts of cinnamon.

Hot pepper peanut butter.

Red grapes and grappa.

Underneath some great notes of prunes.

That high sweet note that I just love from the Yamazaki whiskies.

A salty note is here – celery salt?

Finally, new leather and pipe tobacco.

On the mouth – Chili pepper chocolates.

Crystalized ginger.

Caramels, poached pear (slight).

Fresh lawn mulch.

The mouth feel is so chewylicious….  Not a super winey sherried malt (thank you Suntory!) just, nice.

Finish – Cheyenne peppers and breakfast cereals – Kellogs mini-wheats (sans frosting).

Oak and tobacco.

Lasting & lovely.

In sum – I haven’t met a Yamazaki I haven’t loved.  A finely balanced whisky perfect for the fall time.  Watch the leaves fall, throw on a sweater, get ready for the new year (I’m talking Rosh Hashanah here, folks).