I chanced upon this bottle after watching a comparison of the Yamazaki 12 years and the Glenfarclas 12 years by the whisky sommelier at Whisky Vaults. After checking the price in Amazon JP, I took the leap of faith and bought the 105 at 3800 yen for a 1L bottle. One day later, the bottle came and it was time to check out this monster.

Nose: Upon adding a few drops of water, the fragrances emerge with more clarity. It reminds me of a richer Yamazaki NAS, which I don’t doubt is due to the cask strength bottling. Exciting stuff!

Palate: No disappointments here. A rich intense tropical fruit taste, cloying, almost. Dark toffee sweetness follows. The alcohol is there, but not overwhelming despite the high ABV. I could definitely feel the 60%, unlike some of the other cask strength whiskies that I have tried where the intensity of the flavors made me forget about the high ABV.

Finish: Short finish, spicy and sweet.

Conclusion: The 60% ABV here is no joke, and at 3800 yen (~USD$35 in Sep 2019) for a 1L bottle, I must say the cost performance ratio of this bottle is incredible. The flavors don’t disappoint, though as many reviewers have pointed out, you might want to add a little water (I added 3 drops, to be precise).

At this price? Recommended!

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