A taste of Yamazaki 55

WITH only 200 bottles available worldwide, Yamazaki 55 is a rarefied whisky that sent collectors into a tizzy of anticipation when it was released in the market last year. Half of the bottles were reserved for the Japanese domestic market, sold only through a lottery system, while the remaining half were allocated to the global market, namely the US, UK, Asia, Australia and China. The Singapore market has a grand total of 4 bottles.

With one bottle reportedly auctioned by Bonhams for close to S$1.2 million - 10 times its estimated price - demand is strong for what is the oldest Japanese whisky in the world, bottled in 2020 from a blend of two aged single malts of 1960 and 1964 vintage. The first in Mizunara casks and later in American white oak respectively, but the proportion of mix is a secret held by the two Master Distillers, Shinjiro Torii and Keizo Saji.

Recently, a rare opportunity to taste the legendary 55 presented itself in a Yamazaki whisky pairing dinner held at the 3 Michelin-starred restaurant Odette, featuring the cuisine of Julien Royer and master sushi chef Shinji Kanesaka of Shinji restaurant fame.