New Release: Yamazaki 2003-2014 Official Whisky Shop W. 4th Anniversary

A rich sherry-forward Yamazaki. Yamazaki YAMAZAKI 2003-2014 OB WHISKY SHOP W. ANNIVERSARY CASK #ADDY3038 55% SPANISH OAK, BOTA CORTA The nose presents a strong European oak sherry character with notes of black sugar, caramel, berry jam, dried fruit, bitter chocolate, coffee, clove, and pronounced woodiness. The palate is smooth with rich dried fruit and berry jam sweetness, a strong but good coffee bitterness, some raw woodiness, and an oriental resinous woody character. The finish is long. 【Good/Very Good】 This official Yamazaki was released as part of Whisky Shop W.'s 4th anniversary commemorative set, paired with a Hakushu. From the first sniff, a rich and strong European oak sherry character is evident, followed by caramel, jam, dried fruit, chocolate, coffee, spice, and pronounced woody elements typical of this cask type. On the palate, it surprisingly delivers a smooth mouthfeel with a diverse range of flavors. The jam sweetness and woody bitterness are both strong, particularly the oriental resinous nuances reminiscent of non-Mizunara casks from Suntory. Although the maturation period isn't exceptionally long, it seems like further aging would risk overpowering the bitterness, suggesting this cask is already at its optimal maturity. It appears they've carefully selected a well-developed cask at this stage. Both bottles in this two-bottle set carried a special sense of occasion.