Whisky Focus - Suntory Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2016 Edition

Suntory announces the release of Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2016 Edition which should be

Fans of the Japanese limited edition Suntory Yamazaki Sherry Cask single malt whisky will be pleased to hear that despite reported shortages of stock of the Japanese single malt whisky Suntory has announced the release of a Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2016 Edition which will be available from 1st February, 2016.

It may have surprised a few of you last year when Jim Murray named the Suntory Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013 Edition "World Whisky of the Year" in his Whisky Bible 2015. However, sherry cask whisky has been a constant staple of the Suntory Whisky portfolio since 1924, a year after the distillery began construction. Shinjiro Torii, the founding father of Japanese whisky first started making his whiskies by leveraging sherry casks imported from the wine of southern Spain needed to blend his famous Akadama Sweet Wine. Hence the sherry cask was the first cask used by Suntory Whisky and plays an important role in the origin of Japanese whisky.

The new Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2016 base uses the same lot of whiskies used to make the award winning Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013 Edition. These whiskies have matured for two extra years, then blended with various Sherry cask single malt whiskies, some of which are more than 25 years old, according to the Suntory.

Over its 92-year history, Suntory Whisky has managed numerous sherry casks and sherry malts. Suntory's Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo makes a point of visiting the Northern region of Spain himself. He does this to ensure that his selection of Spanish oak be sent to the "bodegas" (sherry wineries) to be made into the sherry casks used to store their Oloroso Sherry. Fukuyo carefully oversees this entire process, from the selection of the casks, to the charring and the aging of the sherry. After three years of aging, the sherry casks are sent back to Suntory's Yamazaki distillery, ready to receive what becomes the distinguished Yamazaki Sherry Cask Whisky.

Given the "World Whisky of the Year" accolade bestowed on the 2013 edition in Mr Murray's Whisky Bible 2015 I have no doubt this new Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2016 Edition will be highly sought after and will fly off shelves, so I have given you plenty of notice on its pending release.

The Suntory Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2016 Edition carries no age statement, it has been bottled at 48% ABV, a limited release of 5000 bottles worldwide and it has a suggested retail price of US$300. It will be available from the 1st February from specialist Whisky retailers such as The Whisky Exchange
 

• UK Shops
   
• USA Shops
   
• European Shops
  

Whisky Focus