Yamazaki ‘Vintage Malt’ 1994/2005

Review by Nonjatta contributor - Serge Valentin

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"Yamazaki ‘Vintage Malt’ 1994/2005 (56%, OB, barrel)
Colour: Gold.
Nose: Dry, oily and waxy. Whiffs of lovage. Quite some oak, fusel oil, pencil eraser, charcoal... Hints of cedar wood in the background. Vanilla, grass, beer (yeast) and green tea. Rather sharp. With water: more phenolic and resinous. Wet hay, linseed oil, wet chalk. We like it much better now.
Mouth (neat): Much, much sweeter and fruitier than on the nose. Loads of pineapples (fresh, tinned and dried) and an excellent oakiness behind these pineapples. With water: reveals an elegant spiciness but the pineapples are still there, together with coconuts and bananas. Finish: medium long, very clean, fruity, still on pineapples and honey.
Comments: A tropical Yamazaki that needs water – and then it gets excellent.
SGP:731 – 86 points." (Serge`s scoring system is explained on this page.)