Yamazaki 18 Year Old Mizunara Japanese Oak Cask 2025 Edition

Yamazaki 18 Year Old Mizunara Japanese Oak Cask 2025 Edition is the anchor of Suntory's newly formalized Mizunara Series, a single malt matured entirely in Japan's rarest cask wood — the definitive bottle for the collector who wants Mizunara character at its most concentrated rather than as a supporting accent.

Process & Profile

This 2025 release spends its full 18 years in Mizunara oak and is bottled at 48% ABV (96 proof), sitting at the center of a new series it shares with a 25-year-old sibling. Yamazaki has earned the right to build a series around this wood: founded in 1923 by Suntory's Shinjiro Torii on the outskirts of Kyoto, it was Japan's first purpose-built malt whisky distillery, and it began experimenting with native Mizunara in the 1940s when wartime scarcity cut off American and European oak. The wood is punishing to work with — usable staves require trees more than 200 years old and over 70 centimeters across, and the porous grain is prone to leaking — which is precisely why fully Mizunara-matured whisky stays this scarce.

The pour is a deep amber with reddish, polished-stone highlights.

On the nose, sandalwood, agarwood, and Japanese temple incense rise over dark cherry and ripe peach.

On the palate, that incense-and-sandalwood signature deepens alongside warm baking spice, honeyed orchard fruit, and a whisper of coconut from the oak.

The finish is long and meditative, the Mizunara spice and sandalwood lingering well after the fruit fades.

Where most Yamazaki expressions use Mizunara as a seasoning cask among many, this edition puts it front and center for the full 18 years — an uncommon commitment that makes the wood's temple-incense character the whole story.

Serve neat in a Glencairn, no ice, at room temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this whisky?
A Suntory Yamazaki single malt matured entirely in Japanese Mizunara oak, released in 2025 as the core of the Mizunara Series.

What are the specs?
18 years old, 48% ABV (96 proof), fully Mizunara-matured, 750mL, 2025 edition.

What does it taste like?
Sandalwood, agarwood, and incense over dark cherry and peach, with baking spice and a long, meditative Mizunara finish.

How should you enjoy it?
Neat in a Glencairn at room temperature.

Why is this release notable?
It is fully matured in rare Mizunara oak for 18 years and headlines Suntory's new Mizunara Series.