Japan, Osaka. Distillery operational. Owner: Suntory

If ever the Scottish distillery Macallan had an alter ego, it would be Yamazaki. The doyen of Japanese distilleries, Yamazaki has, since the closure of Karuizawa in the early 2000s, dominated the sherry cask maturation scene with its standard bearer The Yamazaki 18 Year Old and the now very rare Yamazaki 25 Year Old. Sherry has become Yamazaki's trademark, with numerous medals and awards recognizing its expertise in and mastery of this style of maturation in demanding latitudes. A large number of small batch versions - such as The Yamazaki Distiller's Sherry Edition 2013, and single casks - such as The Yamazaki Elephant Private Cask 3T70070, have played their part in this. Yamazaki is also renowned for its Mizunara Japanese oak casks, such as The Yamazaki 1986 Owner's Cask 6G5029 and its small batch vintage versions which demonstrate the master blender's skill in marrying casks from different origins (Spain, America, Japan) and different woods (sherry, bourbon, mizunara), such as in The Yamazaki 25 Year Old 1984.

Considered one of Suntory’’s greatest treasures, the Yamazaki Sherry Cask is a true masterpiece. The team responsible for these bottlings leave nothing to chance. Selection of oak as standing timber, followed by selection of the finest Oloroso sherry casks, only the best is kept to ensure the Yamazaki single malt matures in optimum conditions. The result is a rich, deep whisky that has been sweeping sherry cask fans off their feet since 2009. This is the 2012 edition, the year before the range won worldwide renown when critic Jim Murray named it the Best Whisky in the World in 2013.