It has been a while since I last reviewed Yamazaki, so today I’m adding two more expressions to More Drams. First is a Yamazaki Distillery Exclusive single malt that I bought at the distillery in 2018, followed by Yamazaki Peated Malt Spanish Oak from the Kogei Collection. The latter was initially launched for global travel retail.
Not long ago, obtaining both would have required a trip to Japan: a visit to Yamazaki Distillery for the Distillery Exclusive, assuming you were lucky enough to find one, as they were flying off the shelves because of their low price, then a stop at the airport for the Kogei release in a duty-free shop. Things have changed since then. This Distillery Exclusive is no longer available, while the Kogei Collection has become far easier to find through travel-retail and specialist channels, meaning there is at least one less reason to make a whisky-focused flight.
Yamazaki Single Malt Distillery Exclusive (2018) Review
We start with this Yamazaki Distillery Exclusive, which is a 300 ml, no-age-statement single malt sold exclusively on-site at the Yamazaki Distillery, limited to one bottle per visitor, and known to sell out within minutes when available. Bottling numbers vary by batch, and the exact cask makeup is undisclosed, as well as potential chill filtration or whether the colour is natural.
Bottled at 40% ABV, my own bottle carries a very close bottle number as the one in the picture below (mine is #353,471, which I bought at the distillery in September 2018). I don’t think they still release these, so you’ll have to rely on the secondary market to find one.
Colour:
Deep gold.
Nose:
Neat: The nose is quite floral and perfume-like, showing less peat but more spice than Yamazaki’s standard Distiller’s Reserve. Notes of cedar, cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger dominate, alongside subtle savoury tones, with vanilla and peach pit emerging the longer the whisky sits in the glass.
Palate:
Neat: The palate shows clear signs of age well beyond a typical very young no-age-statement whisky. It might be five years old or even a bit more. Flavours of buttered grain bread, cream cheese, but also some nice fruitiness, with juicy pear, apricot, zesty orange, honey, and vanilla alongside the wood spice. The mouthfeel is silky but a little thin, which is to be expected at that ABV and probable chill filtration.
Finish:
The finish is surprisingly long, featuring warm cooked peaches and pears, vanilla pudding, and a dusting of cinnamon, whispers of honey and a lingering smoky touch.
Comments:
This Yamazaki Distillery Exclusive gives more than you’d expect for its price (I paid about €12 at the time for a 300 ml bottle) and characteristics. Of course, it feels young and the mouthfeel is light, but this doesn’t prevent this Yamazaki from showing intensity and width of flavours. Really nice, and the only drawback despite its price is that one, you have to go to the distillery to get one (or the secondary market, I know) and two, when there, you’re limited to just one bottle per person.
Rating: 6/10
Yamazaki Peated Malt Spanish Oak Kogei Edition (2024) Review
The Kogei Collection is Suntory’s 2024 launch tying whisky to ‘Kogei’ – traditional Japanese craftsmanship – released simultaneously for the Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries, each expressing peated malt matured in Spanish oak casks. This particular Yamazaki edition debuted on April 1, 2024, sold exclusively through overseas duty-free shops rather than at Japan’s domestic airports, and appeared sporadically through 2026 while supplies lasted. It carries no age statement; it is non-chill-filtered and bottled 700 ml bottles. The packaging notably ties into Japanese kimono artistry in this variant, with bottle and label designs created by Kyoto’s Chiso Kimono House.
Bottled at 43% ABV, it has left travel retail and is easy to find online, from around €180 in Europe, and £195 in the UK.
Colour:
Russet.
Nose:
Neat: Rich and syrupy, opening with warm, spiced Oloroso sherry notes of raspberries, raisins, dried prunes, and mulled wine, joined by toffee and oak spices with anise and black pepper, adding warmth. A faint smokiness closer to charred wood than aggressive peat lingers in the background, alongside hints of wood polish, liquorice, and a touch of medicinal character. The smoke settles low like incense or a distant fireplace, and there is a light sulfuric funk.
Palate:
Neat: The palate is round and velvety in texture – and the palate starts sweet with demerara sugar, caramel, and warming spices, moving into pronounced liquorice and mint, then building toward dried red fruits, cranberries, walnuts, and a moreish Christmas cake character. Blood oranges, cherries, smoked pineapple and lemon shine alongside a delicate peat, with the Spanish oak and dark cacao bringing a persistent bitterness.
Finish:
The finish is long and dominated by syrupy sweetness, lingering honey, and a warm, lightly herbaceous touch with cocoa powder dryness and incense, roasted malt, black tea, and leather.
Comments:
This (take a deep breath) Yamazaki Peated Malt Spanish Oak Kogei Edition is a bolder, more distinctive expression than Yamazaki’s core lineup, leaning into sherry-driven fruit and oak spice with peat playing a supporting, incense-like role rather than a dominant smoky one. It would deserve a higher ABV and to be non-chill-filtered, as it would have elevated the texture… and the rating quite further given the price.