Suntory Liquors Limited is proud to announce that single malt whiskies Yamazaki 18 Years and Yamazaki 1984 both won the highest award in their category at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Organized by beverage industry publication The Tasting Panel magazine, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition is the largest spirits competition in the United States. A diverse panel of judges (representatives of top U.S. hotels and restaurants, buyers for liquor distributors, and noted journalists) rigorously screens entries through blind tasting. As with the annual International Spirits Challenge (ISC) and International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC), results of this competition are closely watched by the worldwide spirits industry.
Celebrating their tenth anniversary this year, the competition drew some 1,024 entries from 58 countries around the world, in five categories (whisky, white spirits, brandy, liqueur, and rum). Whisky from many countries was entered and judged to award Double Gold, Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals.
Two Yamazaki offerings from Suntory were honored with Double Gold medals: Yamazaki 18 Years and Yamazaki 1984. Moreover, Yamazaki 18 Years has been distinguished with this award three years in a row.
Yamazaki whiskies have enjoyed greater international acclaim in recent years, and sales are growing tremendously. The sales volume in 2009 surpassed the 2008 level by approximately 30%.
The awards further solidify the reputation for high standards in malt whisky at Yamazaki Distillery and unmatched expertise in preparing and selecting from a broad range of blending whiskies. It is another achievement that encourages Suntory to introduce Yamazaki to a wider audience overseas.
Malt whisky from Yamazaki Distillery used in this offering is carefully vatted mainly from whiskies aged at least 18 years in sherry casks. Patience in subsequent maturation yields a full-bodied single malt whisky. The sherry casks impart sweet dried fruit and chocolate on the nose, while the maturity, complexity, and depth on the palate are impressive reminders that the whisky is nearly two decades old.
Made exclusively of carefully selected malt whiskies distilled and barreled in 1984, the year Yamazaki was first introduced. Of the Yamazaki whisky vatted for this offering, most has been aged in mizunara casks—essential for the character that is a hallmark of this distillery. The result is what has come to be prized as an "Asian" fragrance unique to Japanese whisky, which complements rich flavors.
