Yamazaki Tsukuriwake 2024 Islay Peated 48% NV

Professional reviews

BOW (89.50)

The Yamazaki Islay Peated 2024 Edition

Islay peat is known for imparting one of Scotch whisky’s most distinctive flavors, celebrated around the world for its unique smokiness. The Yamazaki Islay Peated Malt balances this smoky quality with a characteristic sweetness, thanks to the special water and maturation processes that define Yamazaki whisky. This blend of traditions is particularly noticeable on the nose, where the gentle smoke meets a hint of biscuit.

- Color: Bright gold
- Nose: Gently smoky with a hint of biscuit
- Palate: Smooth and sweet, reminiscent of brown sugar, followed by a citrus note of bitter orange
- Finish: Warm, lingering, and sweetly smoky

Serge Valentin (88)

This isn’t a maturation or finishing in an ex-Laphroaig cask as you might find elsewhere; rather, it’s barley malted at Laphroaig using Islay peat, which was then shipped to Japan for brewing and distillation. Hard not to be curious, really... Colour: white wine. Nose: this is absolutely not Laphroaig, much softer, lighter in terms of smoke (I imagine many of the ppms were lost during transport—unless the malt was deep-frozen?). Beautiful lemon, mint, and oysters, without the medicinal side. There's a lovely, almost maritime freshness, which I really like, as everyone does, I agree. The menthol note is rather unusual. Mouth: here we get a bit of camphor and a hint of mercurochrome, with a touch of fresh coriander, followed by a bit of lime blossom tea with honey. It works extremely well, with a very elegant simplicity. Some oriental spices, but not in the ‘Islay’ style—no tar, smoke, or ashes... Finish: a soft honeyed sweetness, ginger and honey biscuits, with a slight note of mild curry. Comments: excellent for a NAS that’s been thoroughly 'premiumised'