Floral character, jasmine, cinnamon, candied orange, peach and red apple. Plenty of nut oils and tropical fruits.
Flavor / Taste / Palate
Full-bodied and smooth. Sweet with vanilla, citrus notes with an undercurrent of spice just underneath all the candied notes balancing dusty cigarette ash and cedarwood dryness.
Finish
Lingering with fruit and spice notes. Woody and sweet - dried apricots, peaches, pineapple.
Price: $194.99
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Based on 487 votes, the average rating for Yamazaki 12 Year Old is 8.8/10.
Top reviews for Yamazaki 12 Year Old:
— Unreal, so good. Hard to come by but I can see why.
— Just perfect
— This whisky is an incredible treat. Now that it's only available in Japan, it has become extra special in our house. It's amazing knowing Flaviar has it available for purchase!
Flavor-wise, this whisky is unlike anything I've tried. It has an incredible smoothness to it, but finishes with an almost surprising tropical fruit note. Not overwhelming, just enough to make it pleasant and to invite you to take another sip. I've yet to find a single whisky I enjoy more than this one and can't wait to pick up another bottle (both for myself and as gifts!).
Price, Shipping & Taxes may vary by state and will be recalculated at checkout.
Ratings & Reviews
Member Reviews and Ratings of Yamazaki 12 Year Old
Muthukumar,
Expensive but a Fantastic Drink.
Fabian,
Love it. Outstanding!
Todd,
Unreal, so good. Hard to come by but I can see why.
Huat,
The fruity smell, especially the honey dew like note, is so strong that I can already notice while the glass is on the table and before I even bring the glass close to my nose. However, on the palate, the fruity note is not as strong, but more towards the floral note. The finish is short, especially when I compare it with the Yamazaki Distiller’s Edition
Daniel,
A smooth and spicy experience with wonderful notes of fruit. Highly suggest to anyone interested in Japanese Whisky.
Tomislav,
Just perfect
Eric,
I love this bottle.
Hugh,
This whisky is an incredible treat. Now that it's only available in Japan, it has become extra special in our house. It's amazing knowing Flaviar has it available for purchase!
Flavor-wise, this whisky is unlike anything I've tried. It has an incredible smoothness to it, but finishes with an almost surprising tropical fruit note. Not overwhelming, just enough to make it pleasant and to invite you to take another sip. I've yet to find a single whisky I enjoy more than this one and can't wait to pick up another bottle (both for myself and as gifts!).
Sean,
Amazing. Light and smooth on the palate with (very) subtle vanilla/floral notes. Just a tad sharp on the finish and a flavor that lasts.
Miguel,
This is an absolutely wonderful Whisky. My only gripe is that’s it’s a tad bit on the high side of pricing, but still incredibly tasty stuff. As for tasting notes, it was primarily coconuts and caramel on the palate as far as I could tell, maybe with slight hints of smoke and cinnamon/spice. The nose is elegantly sweet, but isn’t an overpowering aroma.
Phil,
It has a really pleasant sweetness in the nose but not overwhelming like a faint cinnamon roll, slight citrus with honey and vanilla, and faint smoke on the finish. If I need to pin-point what Japanese Whisky are, they are expertly well balanced as each layers of flavor does not fight with the next. If pricing is not an issue I would drink this everyday.
Robert,
Smooth, sweet and complex. A really well done Japanese whiskey. Too bad it's impossible to find at a reasonable price point.
Lucas,
My go to for the weekends now. Can find for around 120 at larger stores if you are lucky
Paul,
One of my all-time favorites. Perfect with a Cuban cigar. Highly recommended.
Niklas,
Love it
John,
Been to Suntory and it was better there.
John,
Not what I was expecting. A little harsh. Been to Suntory and it was better there.
Kevin,
Sweet and dangerously smooth
Mark,
One of my favorite bottles. It's taste is Smooth and soft with good sweetness and winter spice. A lovely citrus note develops with more tropical fruit notes and a little rum. Combine that with a great oaky finish and you'll know exactly why Suntory time is a great time
Rick,
Enjoyed the spice and the numbing type feeling on the tongue. Nice and smooth. We really enjoyed it.
Rick,
Nice spice on the tongue....really enjoyed how spicy and smooth this is.
Christy,
As close as I can get to my dream bottle of Yamazaki 18
Lee,
Way to scotch like for me - has a great taste if you add a few cherries I noticed.
Alexander,
Peat, Pear, and pure bliss
anthony,
In my top 10
Judy,
Very nice, but not sure why this is so $$$. It's around $140 in other places.
Kent,
Nice drinking Whisky, but at the price point don't know if I would reach for it on a regular basis. Smooth but, a little something missing. Kept waiting for the WOW and never got it.
Eli,
9.4
guest,
Buttery sweetness. Heaven.
Richard,
Slightly smokey with subtle fruit flavors (my palate isn't refined enough to pick them out individually). Very smooth finish. Overall, it is not worth the inflated price. These are listed way above retail usually in excess of $150. By all means go for it if you really want an age statement whisky from Suntory, but there is better stuff for the price point.
guest,
My favorite of all time.
Brandon,
God that's close to perfection. Smokey, smooth, vanilla oak, so we'll balanced. And that lingering is divine. Too bad it's so unattainable.
Angel,
Phenomenal! Beautifully rich and smooth.
Patrick,
Smooth with a little spicy kick
Taylor,
Good
Brendan,
Good example of a well-oaked and delicate Japanese whiskey. It is a bit thin on the palate though and it lacks the interesting complexity I would hope to find when paying so much for a bottle.
Jeremy,
Beautifully sweet oak with some slight bitter orange rind. Very spicy oak barrel and a long spicy, salty finish. Very well layered with a malty touch to round it out. Been chasing this one for a while. Love it
Matt,
This is one of my favorites, personally I prefer to drink it neat.
At first sip a cool sensation which turns to a spicy/smoky flavor with a note of caramel ending with a slight bite at the end lingering for awhile between sips.
Jonathan,
Smooth, sweet (with an ice cube) perfect sipping whiskey.
Gil,
Has been my absolute favorite since 2003. There are of course great new options, but this still tops with great balance of peat and bold distinctly Japanese flavor. just a drink. no need to have a meal or snacks or cigar with it. it stands alone and entertains well. It's a crowd pleaser. Most of my friends only know briefly about it but it always hits big and stands out. I will typically have 6-7 bottles of equal caliber out. This seems disappear first even over more familiar bottles.
W.D.,
Very good. Smooth and with hardly a bite at the end.
guest,
Light and smooth
Stephen,
Great whiskey that unfortunately is hard to find. This is the first Japanese whiskey I tasted 12 years ago and rate is as one of the best. I now have 29 different Japanese whiskies in my collection but bought this to have a bottle I could drink right away. Highly recommended!
Bryan,
Absolutely amazing!
Stacy,
Omg!! Delicious!
Jim,
This is it - unless I can get one older - then that is it...
guest,
Splendid in all respects.
Todd,
Tasted at a "Friendsmas" party. That's one hell of a friend. Fruit forward with no signs of Peat on the finish. Smooth drinking over ice. Definitely on my wish list to add to my rotation.
Silke,
Superb!
eliot,
This is the best scotch that we are not allowed to call scotch. I remember getting this first bottle for around $60, and now i am lucky to find it for $300. Even among the other Japanese whiskies, this one stands out.
John,
I had the pleasure of trying this last night and noticed immediately how fruity and smooth in went down, very subtle smoke on the finish too but overall an easy sipping scotch. The taste could have been slightly influenced from the fact that I had two peat forward scotches before this, nevertheless it was a good one to end on.
David,
Had this few times in Japan and got me headed down the whisky trail which ultimately lead me here to Flaviar. 12 yo is my go to... I pick up the 18 yo Narita whenever it’s available and enjoy that on special occasions! Awesome nose, taste and finish! One o& the best!
Lawrence,
Nutty. Oily. Floral. Very smooth. Tropical fruits. Medium finish
Mike,
Managed to get a bottle before it was on here for sale. It's a great smooth whiskey. Perfect whiskey to sip on for celebration. It lacks that harsh bite at the end that most whiskey has. I love it!
Doug,
One of the smoothest I’ve had. Delicious, favorite Japanese! Been hard to find at standard liquor stores
Zack,
this lives up to the hype hard to find smoky flavor its hard not to drink it besides a special occasion a definite must have... very smooth finish and delicious all around
guest,
Color: Light Amber
Nose: Floral
Palate: Sweet, dried pineapple
Finish: Smooth with a dried mango flavor.
Doug,
Wow…love the coconut and butter taste...a hint of berries…long finish…really complex…just wow. Outstanding. The hardest part is the self restraint to avoid drinking it too fast since it was so hard to find.
Jeanne,
Delicious - love the slight smoky flavor without ash. Love the 15 year old too.
Dustin,
Enjoyed it very much! 1st impression was sweet pepper and camp fire! As the night went on and the single pc of ice melted in, it became a mellow malt of candy wood and ever so slight cherry!
Logan,
Nice balance of fruit with a little bit of smoke. One of my all time favorites.
Ray,
Hard ronkonkoma find a better whiskey that tastes better than virtually every other scotch from Scotland.
Thomas,
Pretty solid. Lots of flavor. Kind of spicy but still had some smoothness. A tasting party favorite. Very enjoyable.
Devlin,
I wish I still smoked because his would pair nicely with some fine tobacco and a comfy leather chair.
guest,
Just an absolute delight, so so drinkable.
Kevin,
I love it. I loved it when I first had it five years ago at $80 a bottle, and I love it now at twice the price (or at much lower prices, when I find myself in Japan). Maybe this club will teach me to identify the various flavors, and at some point I'll write tasting notes that are actually a more useful guide. Maybe. But for now: "I love it" will have to do.
Myke,
Excellent bottle. Tried at Deathmatch in Hell. Smooth, easy to sip.
Phil,
This was my first foray into Japanese whisky. On tasting, at first I was surprised by its strength ... very hot and spicy. But as the taste lingered on my tongue it smoothed to perfection. This is a complex whisky that I don't think I fully appreciated, but I loved every bit.
Alon,
Very smooth, slight sweet, fruit aroma, mild spice, fits right into the highland scotch tradition. Excellent whisky.
Ryan,
The sweet after taste of vanilla and the smoothness of the whiskey was fantastic
ANDREW,
Nose is a 10, Palate a 9, pretty close to perfection
Lee,
My go to whiskey. Enjoyable. A little hot for my taste neat but really nice with a splash of water or with a rock.
Kurt,
Good spice, that settles in to a smooth vanilla sweet flavor. Excellent whiskey very pleased.
Terry,
I like it but only with a splash of water.
Joe,
Awesome whiskey complex flavors change as you roll it around your mouth. Excellent finish leaves you wanting more
Luiz,
Love it, best balanced 12 yo
Benjamin,
Amazing Whisky. So smooth it gets me in trouble.
Eric,
Real smooth. Tasty.
Leo,
Very fruity with a little bit of a burn at the end and honey finish
Nicholas,
It's nice. It's smooth. It's fruity. It is a very friendly whiskey.
Mike,
Never again
Kim,
Not really worth the price tag in my opinion, but still a very good whisky. For the price I had to pay to get one bottle (€130) I could’ve gotten two solid 18yo or three other 12yo here in sweden. I think The Hakushu 12yo is a better whisky if you take the price of the bottle into consideration. Definately overhyped because of Yamazaki 18yo! But on the nose I can get some dries fruits, banana and if I water it down and let it breathe I can get a whiff of toffee. Palate is almost in the same line, sweet and a little bit spicy, but the further you get I feel it get’s to bitter for my taste, it’s like eating grape peel and that’s not really my cup of tea. I need to put some water in this to appreciate it more, and the water balance the experience in a good way. Finish is medium, compared to the Hakushu that has the longest and nicest finish I’ve had in a 12yo. Overhyped? Yes. Bur still a solid 8/10! Cheers!
Henry,
There's huge hype around anything Japanese. I picked up my bottles way back before all the hype. I'm not the biggest fan of the 12 given the current price point. Sure, I'll drink it but I wouldn't lose sleep over it. Good whisky, just not $100+ good.
Matthew,
Fantastic 12 year old. Rich and matured nicely. Not overly forward with charred oak.
Ryan,
By far my favorite every day single malt. Not to smokey or sweet, perfect for relaxing and enjoying the sun.
guest,
Man, I just don't get this whiskey. Doesn't fall in line with my preferred flavor profiles.
guest,
Forget my waxing on with tasting notes. Simply -- WOW!
Matthew,
Woah.....what's with the markup on the price? If I wanted to pay auction prices, I'd just buy on Bottle Spot.
Lorenzo,
Nice dram! Great fruit aroma's, sweet at the start and finishes with a nice punch at end. Great choice to add to the collection.
John,
Epitome of what Japanese Whisky can be!!
Larry,
Smell: Reveals fruit and floral aroma.
Taste: Smooth with a slight rum note.
Jeremy,
Nice experience. I enjoyed the chance at trying a highly rated Japanese Whisky. Very Scotch like.
guest,
Not quite my favorite, I prefer nikka as my favorites.
Brad,
very good easy start and smooth finish. I could see myself sitting around sipping this with a great conversation
Anthony,
Smoother than expected.
guest,
As good as the finest 12-year Highland malts; competes well with 15 or 18 year Highland malts.
The difference between a 12-year Yamazaki and a Yamazaki with no age statement is profound. It's definitely worth the extra coin for the 12-year.
guest,
My fav of all time
Caleb,
This is, in my extremely humble opinion, the best whiskey I've ever had. It's smooth as thousand-thread count cotton sheets and as sweet as your high school sweetheart, only with way more kick. I'd trade my left pinkie for a lifetime supply.
Gary,
Amazing
guest,
This is a heavenly drink! Tasting experience just awesome!
Albert,
A great addition to any bar for daily evening drinking. Great neat or mizuwari
Micah,
Excellent whiskey, makes me wish I could find the sherry cask. Subtle smoke with honey and everything else you would expect from a good Japanese whisky.
Deja,
Pretty tasty. Definitely sweet.
Michael,
Incredible
guest,
If you wanna tray, imagine a younger samurai, brave and strong. Great strong flavor with fruits. But if you drink so fast, you can not smell and taste the oak and rice.
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