Yamazaki 18obtained via bottle swap with Bobby Childs
Continuing my taste through some sample bottles, the result of a swap between me and Bobby Childs of Adventures in Whiskey. I can't find Yamazaki 12 anywhere, let alone 18, so I'm pumped to try this one.
Color: medium/dark brown, slight orange tint
Smell: this smells wonderful. The first thing that hit me was chocolate fudge. There is plenty of barrel influence in the form of caramel and toasted oak, all layered on top of a delicately floral nose. Can definitely pick out some fruitiness (raisins/plums) as well.
Taste: very delicate. Restrained sweetness on entry (caramel, fudge), and then the fruitiness builds on the midpalate (raisins). The finish finally brings in some balancing oak influence, and the finish is medium/long with chewy tannins and a lasting dried fruit sweetness.Overall: this is very enjoyable and delicious, and I'm grateful to have been lucky enough to try it. For me it's a solid "A-," held back ever-so-slightly for lacking profound depth of flavors. It's very well-balanced, but this isn't a whisky that leaves a long-lasting impression. I think it's probably a slight victim of its own hype at this point. If you're going to shell out hundreds of dollars on a bottle, my opinion is you should look elsewhere. But in an alternate whisk(e)y universe of wide availability and reasonable prices, I'd recommend this in a heartbeat!
