When thinking about countries producing some of the very best luxury single malt whiskies one area comes to mind, Scotland, it is here where malt whisky with character from its surroundings is distilled. It is unusual for a single luxury malt whisky, to be produced anywhere else. For instance, Irish whisky is typically blended; bourbons from America and sour mash are also blended. Single malts are unique in that they come from just one source that has been distilled, providing a complex flavour. There is a great deal of skill involved in creating one of the world’s very best luxury single malts. Indeed, only a handful of distilleries in the world produce single malt whiskies.

It all started with Suntory’s pursuit of crafting world-class whisky. Japan is home to some of the very best things in life, some of these are their lifestyle, "Sushi" and "Kobe Beef"; it is now, also home to one of the very best single malt whiskies, "Yamazaki". "Yamazaki", is a testament to some of the finest practises used in the production of single malt whisky. The purity and quality of the ingredients, the painstaking processing of the malted barleys, the mixing of yeasts in the fermentation and the ageing process make it plain that Yamazaki is produced with the rigorous approach typical of the Japanese culture and lifestyle.

It ages in oak casks of three different qualities: North American white oak (adding vanilla and coconut aromas), Spanish oak (adding fruity and

Editorial | K. Inatomi - Image Courtesy Of Suntory