5 Best Japanese Whiskies in 2024

1. Yamazaki 12 Year Old

Insider Monkey Score: 12

This single malt is distilled in the spiritual home of Japanese whisky, in the town of Yamazaki right outside Kyoto. Introduced in 1984, the Yamazaki 12 was the first seriously marketed whisky from the Land of the Rising Sun and since then, it has acquired quite the cult following all around the globe. This wonderful and smooth expression has won a multitude of awards over the years and still continues to impress with its well-balanced fruity sweetness, something that appeals to novice and experienced whisky drinkers alike.

According to Masato Makida, an overall store manager at the secondhand store chain Liquor Off, a bottle of Yamazaki 12 now goes for around 18,000 yen ($117.6) in Japan.

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