This item is available through our VBP Points Auction! Use your reward points to place a bid, winners will be able to purchase for $599.00

Yamazaki 18 is made from 100% malted barley, which is milled and mashed before being fermented in Suntory's proprietary wooden vats. After fermentation, the whisky is distilled through copper-pot stills - the first of their kind outside of Scotland - before being aged in casks made of three different types of woods: American, Spanish and Japanese oak. "This is all done by hand — the traditional way," says Osamu Abe, the manager of Yamazaki Distillery. "This is called yagura — craftsmanship. You must watch and listen to how they're made. In Japan, we say "use all 5 senses.' Of course we learn from others, but our own senses are key." This whisky has a copper, bronze color with an aroma of raisins, apricots and coffee. The initial notes of dark chocolate, dried fruits and cinnamon give way to a long, profound finish that has a touch of sweetness.