Yamazaki® Whisky is Suntory's flagship single malt whisky, from Japan’s first and oldest malt distillery, multi-layered with fruit and Mizunara aromas.

From Suntory official site

The first time I drank Yamazaki 12 Year Old was back in 2012. I bought a bottle for drinking at home and shared it with my father.
Those were the days before the whisky boom. The yen was strong, and you could buy a bottle online for 5,980 yen (before tax).
It was a happy era. The Glenlivet 21 was just a little over 10,000 yen, and even a 20+ year-old Gordon & MacPhail Macallan could be found for around 20,000 yen.
The price surge that came later… I honestly wish it had never happened. I’ve had Yamazaki 18 a few times at bars, but nowadays it’s rare to even find it on the shelf — and if you do, I can only imagine what a single glass must cost. Buying one for home now? It seems to go for over 90,000 yen. Incredible, isn’t it? (・∇・) I recently had Yamazaki 12 at a bar again after quite some time, and it really is a delicious whisky.
For home drinking, it’s around 20,000 yen these days. I do buy it occasionally, but since my father loved Hakushu 12 so much, I probably end up buying and drinking Hakushu more often. Up to the 12-year level, I’d say Hakushu has the edge. At 18 years, though, I think Yamazaki takes the lead. What do you think?


Looking back at my old online purchase history, I sometimes find myself reflecting on what a wonderful time it was — when truly great bottles could be bought at reasonable prices.
I guess that’s a sign I’m getting older.