The House of Suntory has always been synonymous with the best whiskies. This year, fans will be glad to discover the 2024 Tsukuriwake Series and its four new expressions: Yamazaki Golden Promise, Yamazaki Islay Peated Malt, Yamazaki 18 Year Old Mizunara, and Hakushu 18 Year Old Peated Malt, each with their own distinct attributes to please any palate.
Tsukuriwake means “artisanship through a diversity of making”, a philosophy behind many of Suntory’s creations. This approach is made possible through the vision of Fifth Generation Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo, who was recently awarded Master Blender of the Year at the International Spirits Challenge 2024. Moving beyond the usual processes, such as cask selection, Fukuyo explores new ingredients, maturation methods, and flavour profiles instead.
The Yamazaki Golden Promise is a treat out of the four, and what makes this expression so charming is not its barley variety cultivated in Scotland in the sixties. Instead, it is the wealth of flavour you find within. It opens with fruity notes on the nose, with just the tiniest hints of spices. Drink it, and you will be treated to a creamy mouthfeel, which finishes off with cereal notes.
Next comes the Yamazaki Islay Peated Malt, which is a touch smokier than the Golden Promise. Here, the special water and maturation process used to create the whisky culminates into a blend of sweetness and maltiness on the palate. It is not as mild as the aforementioned Golden Promise, but it still goes down smoothly, allowing you to enjoy the lingering smokiness as the tastes fade.
The Yamazaki 18 Year Old Mizunara takes things up a notch, which features the Mizunara oak, a challenging wood to work with that is also responsible for the sandalwood aromas. This gives way to spices on the palate — think chocolate and cloves — that soon develop into sweetness. There are also hints of oak and smokiness at the finish.
Last but not least, you can smell the pine forest with the Hakushu 18 Year Old Peated Malt. A certain freshness hints at a lighter expression, but the spicy and peppery notes that follow give this whisky an interesting character, perfect for when you want to kick back and relax yet savour some of the finest whiskies ever made.
As fine as these whiskies are to drink, it is also important to note that this is a limited release, so while they are available for purchase in Malaysia, they might not stay on the shelves for very long. Collector or connoisseur, there is bound to be one expression in this series for you.
Once you are done with this story, click here to catch up with our November 2024 issue.