{"product_id":"yamazaki-18-year-japanese-whisky","title":"The Yamazaki 18 Year Old Single Malt Japanese Whisky — Long-Aged Suntory Flagship, Multi-Cask Sherry-Driven Composition","description":"\u003cstyle\u003e\n.mw-master-container{\n  --mw-accent: #BFAE88;   \/* metallic foil  *\/\n  --mw-glow:   #A21C09;   \/* power color    *\/\n  --mw-bg:     #141310;   \/* deep lowlight  *\/\n  --mw-text:#e0e0e0; --mw-muted:#a89e86; --mw-hair:#241f1a;\n  font-family: inherit; background:var(--mw-bg); color:var(--mw-text);\n  line-height:1.7; padding:24px; margin-bottom:60px;\n}\n.mw-master-container .mw-h3{ color:var(--mw-accent); font-weight:bold; text-transform:uppercase;\n  font-size:0.9rem; letter-spacing:2px; margin-top:40px; display:block;\n  border-bottom:1px solid var(--mw-glow); padding-bottom:8px; margin-bottom:20px; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-accent{ color:var(--mw-accent); font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-accent:hover{ color:#fff; text-decoration:underline; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-info-box{ background:linear-gradient(90deg, var(--mw-bg) 0%, var(--mw-glow) 100%);\n  padding:25px; margin:25px 0; border-radius:0 4px 4px 0; border:1px solid var(--mw-hair);\n  border-left:4px solid var(--mw-accent); }\n.mw-master-container .mw-grid{ display:grid; grid-template-columns:1fr 1fr; gap:30px; margin:30px 0; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-card{ background:rgba(255,255,255,0.02); padding:25px;\n  border:1px solid var(--mw-glow); border-radius:4px; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-table{ width:100%; border-collapse:collapse; margin-top:15px; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-table td{ padding:14px 0; border-bottom:1px solid var(--mw-hair);\n  color:#ccc; font-size:0.95rem; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-table td:first-child{ font-weight:bold; width:38%; color:var(--mw-accent);\n  text-transform:uppercase; font-size:0.75rem; letter-spacing:1px; }\n.mw-master-container details{ background:rgba(255,255,255,0.03); border:1px solid var(--mw-hair);\n  border-radius:4px; margin-bottom:15px; }\n.mw-master-container summary{ padding:18px; color:var(--mw-accent); font-weight:bold; cursor:pointer;\n  outline:none; list-style:none; display:flex; justify-content:space-between; align-items:center;\n  text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:1px; font-size:0.85rem; }\n.mw-master-container summary::after{ content:'+'; font-size:1.2rem; }\n.mw-master-container details[open]{ border:1px solid var(--mw-accent); }\n.mw-master-container details[open] summary::after{ content:'-'; }\n.mw-master-container .details-content{ padding:0 20px 20px 20px; font-size:0.95rem; }\n@media (max-width:768px){ .mw-master-container .mw-grid{ grid-template-columns:1fr; } }\n\u003c\/style\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"mw-master-container\"\u003e\n\n  \u003c!-- TL;DR (speakable, GEO) --\u003e\n  \u003cdiv class=\"speakable\"\u003e\n    \u003cp\u003eThe Yamazaki 18 Year is the flagship age-statement single malt from Suntory's Yamazaki Distillery, the first and oldest malt whisky distillery in Japan. A Japanese single malt bottled at 43% ABV (86 proof), it is matured for eighteen years mainly in Spanish sherry oak, with Japanese Mizunara oak and American white oak. Each cask plays a part: the sherry brings dried fruit and dark chocolate, the Mizunara adds sandalwood and incense, and the American oak rounds the whole together. Deep reddish amber in the glass, it carries raisin, apricot, café au lait, and Mizunara on the nose; a palate of blackberry, strawberry jam, dates, dark chocolate, and honeyed caramel; and a long, warming finish of dried fruit, tannic oak, and peppery spice. It is deep and complex, and one of the most allocated Japanese whiskies released.\u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003c\/div\u003e\n\n  \u003c!-- ELEMENTAL DISTINCTION --\u003e\n  \u003cspan class=\"mw-h3\"\u003eThe Elemental Distinction\u003c\/span\u003e\n  \u003cdiv class=\"mw-info-box\"\u003e\n    \u003cul style=\"margin:0; padding-left:20px; font-size:0.95rem;\"\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eThe flagship age-statement single malt from Yamazaki — Japan's first and oldest malt whisky distillery, founded in 1923.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eAged 18 years and bottled at 43% ABV (86 proof).\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eMatured mainly in Spanish sherry oak, with rare Japanese Mizunara oak and American white oak.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eDeep and complex — dried fruit, dark chocolate, and the sandalwood-and-incense signature of Mizunara.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eA Japanese single malt (100% malted barley); meets the JSLMA Japanese-whisky standard. 700 ml as labeled.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/div\u003e\n\n  \u003c!-- SENSORY + STRATEGIC GRID --\u003e\n  \u003cdiv class=\"mw-grid\"\u003e\n    \u003cdiv class=\"mw-card\"\u003e\n      \u003cspan class=\"mw-accent\" style=\"font-size:0.75rem; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:1px;\"\u003eSensory Profile\u003c\/span\u003e\n      \u003cdiv style=\"margin-top:20px; font-size:0.9rem;\" class=\"speakable\"\u003e\n        \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNose:\u003c\/strong\u003e Raisin and apricot, dark chocolate, and café au lait, with the sandalwood and incense of Mizunara oak.\u003c\/p\u003e\n        \u003cp style=\"margin-top:10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePalate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Blackberry, strawberry jam, and dates, with dark chocolate, honeyed caramel, and gentle spice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n        \u003cp style=\"margin-top:10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFinish:\u003c\/strong\u003e Long and warming, with dried fruit, tannic oak, and peppery spice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n      \u003c\/div\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n    \u003cdiv class=\"mw-card\"\u003e\n      \u003cspan class=\"mw-accent\" style=\"font-size:0.75rem; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:1px;\"\u003eStrategic Position\u003c\/span\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"font-size:0.90rem; margin-top:20px;\"\u003eThe flagship age-statement Yamazaki, a sherry-led single malt carried by its Mizunara oak. Browse \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/japanese-whisky\" class=\"mw-accent\"\u003eour Japanese whisky collection\u003c\/a\u003e or \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/whisky\" class=\"mw-accent\"\u003eour broader whisky range\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003c\/div\u003e\n\n  \u003c!-- TECHNICAL SPECS --\u003e\n  \u003cspan class=\"mw-h3\"\u003eTechnical Specifications\u003c\/span\u003e\n  \u003ctable class=\"mw-table\"\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBrand \/ Producer\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eThe Yamazaki (Suntory) — the flagship age-statement single malt\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDistillery\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eYamazaki Distillery, Shimamoto, Osaka Prefecture, Japan — founded 1923, the oldest in Japan\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCategory\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eJapanese Single Malt Whisky (100% malted barley, pot-distilled)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCask Types\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMainly Spanish sherry oak (Oloroso), with Japanese Mizunara oak and American white oak\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eABV \/ Proof\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e43% ABV (86 proof)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAge Statement\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e18 years\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eColor\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDeep reddish amber\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBottle Size\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e700 ml (70cl) as labeled — confirm 700 ml vs 750 ml for the US SKU\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOrigin\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eJapan (Osaka Prefecture)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eStandard\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMeets the JSLMA Japanese-whisky labeling standard\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n  \u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\n\n  \u003c!-- COLLECTOR NOTE --\u003e\n  \u003cspan class=\"mw-h3\"\u003eCollector Note\u003c\/span\u003e\n  \u003cp\u003eThe Yamazaki 18 is the cornerstone of Japan's most established single-malt house. Suntory's Yamazaki Distillery opened in 1923, on the outskirts of Kyoto where three rivers meet, as the first malt whisky distillery in the country; the 18 Year is its flagship age statement. What sets it apart is the maturation: mostly Spanish sherry oak for dried fruit and chocolate depth, a measure of scarce Japanese Mizunara oak for the sandalwood and incense that has become the distillery's signature, and American oak to tie it together. Japanese whisky of this age has become genuinely scarce, and the 18 Year is among the most allocated releases on the market, which has pushed it well beyond its shelf history at auction and retail alike. For a collection moving beyond bourbon, it is a foundational and collectible bottle — the benchmark aged single malt from Japan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003c!-- RECOMMENDED SERVING --\u003e\n  \u003cspan class=\"mw-h3\"\u003eRecommended Serving\u003c\/span\u003e\n  \u003cp\u003ePour it neat in a tulip glass and give it a few minutes: the sherry fruit and the Mizunara incense open with air. A single drop of water can lift the spice without thinning the body, which sits comfortably at 43%. While the Japanese highball is the everyday way to serve younger Yamazaki, an 18-year-old of this scarcity rewards drinking neat or barely cut. Ice is best kept to one large cube if used at all, so the chocolate and dried-fruit notes are not lost.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003c!-- ACCORDION DEEP-DIVES --\u003e\n  \u003cdetails\u003e\n    \u003csummary\u003eProduction Methodology\u003c\/summary\u003e\n    \u003cdiv class=\"details-content\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYamazaki is a single malt: it is made entirely from malted barley and pot-distilled at one distillery, founded by Shinjiro Torii in 1923 in Shimamoto, Osaka Prefecture, where a humid climate and the pure water at the meeting of three rivers were chosen to suit maturation. The 18 Year is matured for eighteen years mainly in Spanish sherry oak (Oloroso butts), with a portion of Japanese Mizunara oak — a scarce, demanding wood that lends sandalwood, incense, and Japanese spice — and American white oak. The three cask types are married to build the whisky's depth, and it is bottled at 43% ABV. The bottle meets the Japan Spirits and Liqueurs Makers Association standard for labeling Japanese whisky.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003c\/details\u003e\n  \u003cdetails\u003e\n    \u003csummary\u003eAuthentication \u0026amp; Vault Preservation\u003c\/summary\u003e\n    \u003cdiv class=\"details-content\"\u003e\n      \u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- SHARED TRUST COMPONENT: insert the canonical block; do not re-author per product. --\u003eMidnight Whiskey is an authorized retailer; every bottle is sold in its original packaging and inspected before it ships. Orders are double-boxed with protective padding and dispatched with temperature-aware handling. Delivery requires an adult signature: the recipient must be 21 or older and present valid government-issued photo ID. For how we verify and grade what we sell, see \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/authentication\" class=\"mw-accent\"\u003eour authentication standards\u003c\/a\u003e; for white-glove acquisition and storage, see \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/vault-concierge\" class=\"mw-accent\"\u003ethe Vault Concierge\u003c\/a\u003e; and for how we source and vet listings, see \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/editorial-standards\" class=\"mw-accent\"\u003eour editorial sourcing standards\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003c\/details\u003e\n  \u003cdetails\u003e\n    \u003csummary\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/summary\u003e\n    \u003cdiv class=\"details-content\"\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003eWhat casks is the Yamazaki 18 aged in?\u003c\/p\u003e\n      \u003cp\u003eThe Yamazaki 18 is matured for eighteen years mainly in Spanish sherry oak, with Japanese Mizunara oak and American white oak. The sherry brings dried fruit and chocolate, the Mizunara adds sandalwood and incense, and the American oak rounds it out. It is bottled at 43% ABV.\u003c\/p\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"font-weight:bold; margin-top:18px;\"\u003eWhat is Mizunara oak?\u003c\/p\u003e\n      \u003cp\u003eMizunara is a Japanese oak, scarce and difficult to work with, that gives Yamazaki its signature notes of sandalwood, incense, and Japanese spice. The Yamazaki 18 uses it alongside sherry and American oak. The distillery, founded in 1923, was the first in Japan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003c\/details\u003e\n\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@graph\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Product\",\n      \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.midnightwhiskey.com\/products\/yamazaki-18-year#product\",\n      \"name\": \"The Yamazaki 18 Year Single Malt Whisky\",\n      \"image\": \"https:\/\/www.midnightwhiskey.com\/[PLACEHOLDER_IMAGE_PATH]\/yamazaki-18-year.jpg\",\n      \"description\": \"The Yamazaki 18 Year is the flagship age-statement single malt from Suntory's Yamazaki Distillery, the oldest malt whisky distillery in Japan. A Japanese single malt bottled at 43% ABV (86 proof), it is matured for 18 years mainly in Spanish sherry oak, with Japanese Mizunara oak and American white oak. Deep reddish amber, it shows dried fruit, dark chocolate, blackberry, dates, honeyed caramel, and the sandalwood and incense of Mizunara, with a long, spicy, oak-driven finish.\",\n      \"sku\": \"[PLACEHOLDER_SKU]\",\n      \"mpn\": \"[PLACEHOLDER_MPN]\",\n      \"brand\": { \"@type\": \"Brand\", \"name\": \"The Yamazaki\" },\n      \"manufacturer\": { \"@type\": \"Organization\", \"name\": \"Suntory\" },\n      \"category\": \"Japanese Single Malt Whisky\",\n      \"offers\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Offer\",\n        \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.midnightwhiskey.com\/products\/yamazaki-18-year#offer\",\n        \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.midnightwhiskey.com\/products\/yamazaki-18-year\",\n        \"priceCurrency\": \"USD\",\n        \"price\": \"[PLACEHOLDER_PRICE]\",\n        \"availability\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/LimitedAvailability\",\n        \"itemCondition\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/NewCondition\",\n        \"seller\": { \"@type\": \"Organization\", \"name\": \"Midnight Whiskey\" }\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n      \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.midnightwhiskey.com\/products\/yamazaki-18-year#breadcrumb\",\n      \"itemListElement\": [\n        { \"@type\": \"ListItem\", \"position\": 1, \"name\": \"Home\", \"item\": \"https:\/\/www.midnightwhiskey.com\" },\n        { \"@type\": \"ListItem\", \"position\": 2, \"name\": \"Japanese Whisky\", \"item\": \"https:\/\/www.midnightwhiskey.com\/collections\/japanese-whisky\" },\n        { \"@type\": \"ListItem\", \"position\": 3, \"name\": \"Yamazaki 18 Year\" }\n      ]\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n      \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.midnightwhiskey.com\/products\/yamazaki-18-year#faq\",\n      \"mainEntity\": [\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"What casks is the Yamazaki 18 aged in?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": { \"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"The Yamazaki 18 is matured for eighteen years mainly in Spanish sherry oak, with Japanese Mizunara oak and American white oak. The sherry brings dried fruit and chocolate, the Mizunara adds sandalwood and incense, and the American oak rounds it out. It is bottled at 43% ABV.\" }\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"What is Mizunara oak?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": { \"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Mizunara is a Japanese oak, scarce and difficult to work with, that gives Yamazaki its signature notes of sandalwood, incense, and Japanese spice. The Yamazaki 18 uses it alongside sherry and American oak. The distillery, founded in 1923, was the first in Japan.\" }\n        }\n      ]\n    }\n  ]\n}\n\u003c\/script\u003e","brand":"Suntory","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44766415683618,"sku":null,"price":799.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0812\/5566\/1602\/files\/the-yamazaki-18-year-old-single-malt-japanese-whisky.jpg?v=1779915591","url":"https:\/\/midnightwhiskey.com\/products\/yamazaki-18-year-japanese-whisky","provider":"Midnight Whiskey ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}