Yamazaki ‘Vintage Malt’ 1980/2004

Review by Serge Valentin

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"Yamazaki ‘Vintage Malt’ 1980/2004 (56%, OB, refill sherry)
Colour: Amber.
Nose: Not very different from the 1982 as far as the profile is concerned, only much bigger and expressive. Please read above. With water: wilder, more animal (soy sauce, beef bouillon.) Pu-erh tea, Habano, bitter chocolate, coffee. Hints of peat.
Mouth (neat): Explosive, very fruity, very ‘sherried’ and very spicy. Huge concentration! Much nicer than the 1982 in that sense. Pepper, strawberries, hawthorn tea, blackberry jelly and strong honey (chestnut and the likes.) Gingerbread. With water: smoother of course but not less flavourful. More spices and more herbs (interesting hints of thyme and mother-of-thyme.) Liquorice. Finish: long, with silky tannins and more notes of blackcurrants (fruits and buds.)
Comments: Very, very good, this one pulled excellent comments and scores at the MM Awards 2007.
SGP:552 - 88 points." (Serge`s scoring system is explained on this page.)