Yamazaki Whiskey just unveiled a 25-year-old whisky - and it’s definitely one to watch

Japanese whisky had the same sort of trajectory as ballet pumps experienced; huge in 2010, but the sweeping hype sort of died away by 2012. However - again, much like ballet pumps - it’s back, and having a bit of a revival.

Yamazaki - part of the House of Suntory - has just released the oldest expression to date from the distillery. The 25-year-old whisky is not only unique thanks to its age, but also thanks to its distillation, having been matured entirely in Japanese mizunara oak.

Yamazaki produces many different styles of whisky, typically using a range of different types of wood to create those unique tasting notes for each bottle. Mizunara oak - a native Japanese wood - is often used to finish the whiskies, but is rarely used entirely for maturation. This is because it is incredibly porous, meaning it’s difficult to use.

A porous wood means distillers will typically lose a lot more liquid than other woods, as it evaporates much more quickly. Basically, the longer they leave the whisky in there, the higher the angel’s share - meaning it becomes a lot more expensive...

Whilst Mizunara is a native Japanese oak, it has also become increasingly popular for American, Irish, and Scotch whiskies - although again, more as a finishing touch rather than its main cask. It’s basically like the whisky equivalent of having Waitrose No.1 picky bits on the table but refilling the plates with Asda's own (no shade to Asda).

The core, existing Yamazaki lineup includes a 12, an 18, and now a 25-year-old expression, all of which are matured using a variety of different casks that are generally blended together. As well as the Mizunara, they also use bourbon and sherry.

The new 25-year-old release from Yamazaki has been entirely aged in mizunara casks. Again, to put it in supermarket terms, this is the equivalent of having a friend who does their weekly shop at Selfridges. Bougie af.

This maturation process marks the 25-year-old as the oldest whiskey to date from Suntory (Yamazaki’s parent company, who also own Hibiki, Hakushu, and Toki Japanese whiskies) to receive this particular distillation method, having surpassed the last release, which was an 18-year-old expression. It’s still a long way off Yamazaki’s oldest whisky, though, which was a 55-year-old expression that was released in 2021 and used a blend of mizunara and white oak barrels.

What does it taste like?

Whilst we haven’t been lucky enough to get a taste yet, according to the ever-reliable tasting notes, we know it’s designed to be a fragrant, rich blend of sandalwood, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon, with just the lightest hint of red berry.

On the palate, it’s warm and deep before fading to a light, lingering finish. It has a decent but gentle strength, which is fairly expected with a 43% ABV.

A rare and unique bottle is never going to be a cheap treat, and this bottle is already retailing for $7,500 - although it feels like a bit of a steal when you consider the 55-year-old whisky is selling for $800,000.

Plus, rare bottles (especially unicorn whiskies) can fetch up to triple the price and higher on the second-hand market. There are only a couple of places you can buy it in the UK - not surprising, as there will only be a very limited number of bottles available. It’s currently available via The Whisky Exchange for a mere £5,900, just in case you have a spare £6k burning a hole in your bank account. Payday treat, anyone?

• Buckingham Palace just launched its own canned Gin & Tonic