Yamazaki 12 Japanese Whisky

Classification: Japanese Whiskey
Distillery: Yamazaki
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
Age: 12 Years
Proof: 86

Yamazaki isn’t just Japan’s oldest distillery—it’s basically the grandparent who still runs marathons, cooks you perfect miso soup, and looks better in a kimono than you do in your prom photos. Since 1923, it’s been writing love letters to whisky, and the Yamazaki 12 is one of its greatest hits.

The nose? Think honey drizzled over fresh pineapple, a splash of citrus zest, and vanilla warming in oak. It’s fragrant, inviting, and dangerously good at luring you in—like the whisky equivalent of “just one more episode” at 2 a.m.

On the palate, it’s smooth and creamy, practically rolling out a red carpet for honey, vanilla, winter spice, and a little tropical fruit vacation in the background. And just when you think it’s all sweetness and sunshine, a whisper of smoke drifts through, like a campfire after everyone’s gone to bed.

The finish keeps the charm going—long, warm, and subtly smoky, with oak and spice that linger like a polite guest who somehow makes your house feel cooler by sticking around.

Bottom line? Yamazaki 12 is elegant, approachable, and annoyingly perfect. It’s the whisky equivalent of Ryan Gosling in a well-tailored suit—smooth, layered, and impossible not to like.