Snoof says on August 2, 2023
General description
Number 250 in tasting and the sun also rises...
Nose
Well, here it is at last, unofficially over 250, officially… 250 whiskies tasted… Whoa… The first record I made ‘officially’ was on 30th November 2019 and was a dodgy Laphroaig 10, however, I’ve been ‘sampling’ whiskey since the 90s, but only recently keeping a score, so to speak. So finally, finally, onto the nosing of my 250th whiskey, this time whisky, and a first try at Yamazaki… 12 no less. Here goes… Sherry, definitely, fruit (mildly citrus heading to orange but without the tang or any acidity, just lightly sweet). A nice genteel beginning, with all flavours spinning at the top of the stick… Some smoke, honey, and embers, with a good amount of maltiness in evidence. Maybe, chestnut and cloves, mildly again. Everything is restrained here, nothing overwhelms. Honey is there, perhaps acacia and a touch of caramel.
Palate
To the taste, with the oak and sherry influence, expectations are for vanilla, caramel and maybe raisins… Creamy, smooth, very lightly spiced, and then the fruit as near to an explosion as there could be with something so… evenly made, the fruit suggestive of pineapple or papaya, but definitely tropical in nature. The spice increases with time, but the fruit doesn’t leave, possibly even peach at times. Magnificent in places, this…
Finish
Long to very long, with the fruit holding on amid the spice that just grows and grows. There is a nod towards a rum influence, and this is where the tropical fruit flavours have entered into my thinking. Because of the fruit, I didn’t get to the oakiness, and the very light vanilla and caramel. This is very good, in truth. I have been generally flat-lining with most expensive whiskies I’ve tried, neither brilliant nor terrible, but usually with the thought that the particular dram is no better than one at a fraction of the price, but this Yamazaki deserves the esteem it’s held in, and my score will reflect its quality, ignoring its cost… Well… that was that… A breath, a sip, and on to the next 250!
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