As Motoyama says: “By promoting the craftsmanship and variety of malt whiskies produced at Yamazaki Distillery, and through the release of limited edition products, we hope to strengthen the value of the Yamazaki brand in Japan and globally, and establish it as the highest-quality single malt in the world. Introducing the flow of the manufacturing process We will explain the flow of the malt whiskey manufacturing process using videos and whiskey ingredients. He settled on a location famed for its pure water nestled on the periphery of Kyoto and today the distillery has gained international acclaim for its exceptional handcrafted malt whiskies. Made at Yamazaki Distillery, the birthplace of Japanese whisky, its signature multi-layered taste is highly praised by whisky connoisseurs all over the world.

Although this is the shorter of the two options, this tour offers whisky lovers a decent overview of the facility, where you can learn about the meticulous process behind whisky-making, view the casks used for ageing the spirit, and sample whiskies that aren't available on the commercial market. Yamazaki’s international footprint grew significantly with access to Beam’s distribution channels and became a key focus for the firm as the Japanese whisky boom really started to take hold.

So today, I am tasting the Distiller’s Reserve of these whiskies, which are both younger, coloured whiskies bottled at precisely 43% ABV. Well, I can’t say I was too keen on trying out another new NAS whisky release by a big whisky distillery, but then again, they make great drams in Japan. Established by Shinjiro Torii, founder of Japanese drinks group Suntory, Yamazaki became Japan’s first whisky distillery in 1923. The distillery expanded once again in 2013 with the addition of four stills, bringing Yamazaki’s total to 12 and increasing its capacity by roughly 40%.

Go a step further with exclusive access to areas reserved for the Prestige tour, where you’ll be able to view the whisky production area and see the artisans at work. Visit "The story of the early days in business" exhibit Various exhibits allow you to experience the path Suntory Whisky has taken since the time of Suntory's founding. Comes in a nice looking bottle is very fruity I could taste a hint of cherry bursting through aswell as the sharp whisky taste . The collection of whiskies from the Yamazaki Distillery are exceptional and must-tries for whisky lovers, both new and experienced.

This is the opposite in these two expressions – again, a sign that in a non-age statement bottle, you’ll get a younger spirit. For international tourists, rest assured that both tours are available with English-speaking guides. The rapid growth of the Japanese whisky industry in recent years has been nothing short of remarkable. Completed in 1989, this development allowed Yamazaki to create a variety of malt whisky styles using multiple stills designs.

With a range of options from Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve to 12, 18, and 25 years old, all of these prized whiskies contain carefully blended components aged in American, Spanish, and Japanese Mizunara oak. In 1899, at the age of 20, he founded Torii Shoten in Osaka and started producing wine, launching the successful Akadama Port Wine, a sweet wine liqueur, eight years later.After a period of renovations, the Suntory Yamazaki Distillery in Osaka prefecture is ready to welcome visitors again from November 1 – just in time to celebrate 100 years since Suntory's founder, Shinjiro Torii, began his whisky enterprise in Yamazaki.

We recognise this as the beginning of the history of Japanese whisky,” says Mineyuki Motoyama, general manager of Suntory Spirits’s whisky and imported liquor marketing department. Yamazaki will undoubtedly bear the brunt of current difficulties facing the Japanese whisky sector, but the distillery is up for the challenge. Trace the timeline of Japanese whisky’s success and it becomes clear that there was one distillery that started it all – Yamazaki.The diversity of this region’s temperature and humidity creates ideal conditions for cask aging, known as the signature "Suntory Maturation". Enjoy the rich aroma of vanilla and the mellow, lingering aftertaste that arises from the toasted casks. Suntory Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve whisky has been matured in Bordeaux wine casks and Sherry casks. The Yamazaki is spicier, sweeter, but thinner, with flavours of caramel that were absent in the Hakushu. Yamazaki Distillery is where the Katsura, Uji and Kizu rivers converge, providing a unique misty climate and one of Japan’s softest waters.