The elegant grace of the women performing the Yamaga Lantern Dance is expressed in this whisky’s fruity and creamy character. Please enjoy this single malt Japanese whisky, nurtured by the beautiful natural environment and the unique history and culture of northern Kumamoto.

Aroma: Chocolate chiffon cake topped with vanilla cream, caramel, apple compote, with a touch of maltiness.
Palate: Sweet, lightly caramelized notes reminiscent of a financier, sweet and fruity pear compote and marmalade, and the pleasantly toasty bitterness of dark chocolate.
Finish: Vanilla chocolate studded with hazelnuts, followed by a rich, sweet, and toasty butter-toast afterglow.

From YAMAGA SINGLE MALT The First -Yamaga Distillery Story-

I’d seen this bottle somewhere online before, but this was my first time actually drinking it. So this one also qualifies as a “pure” Japanese whisky under the official definition. It was delicious. The only issue, though… is the price.

When I first tried Taiwan’s Kavalan years ago, I remember thinking it was pretty expensive for a newcomer—but the new Japanese distilleries are definitely keeping up in terms of pricing. Maybe it’s time to let go of that old deflation-era mindset.

It’s just hard to shake it off when you’ve had experiences like buying Nikka Taketsuru aged 17 years for around 4,000 yen, or Glenlivet Archive 21 for about 12,000 yen.