The Tsukuriwake series is about artistry and diversity in whisky-making. Its 2024 iteration consists of a new limited-edition line-up—a quartet of four, highly curated expressions that each champion a distinct aspect of Suntory’s whisky-making expertise.
The Yamazaki Golden Promise is created using Golden Promise barley, a varietal developed in the 1960s. Although it has largely been since superseded by other modern cultivars, it remains of niche interest to the likes of brewers and whisky-makers, thanks to its flavour and malting characteristics. It imparts an especially rich, malty and full-bodied character to the whisky. This particular expression, which is aged largely in American oak casks, also has a touch of sweetness throughout to balance the biscuit-like core.
No one would expect a peat bomb from a Japanese whisky-maker, and indeed the Yamazaki Islay Peated Malt is a softer style of peated dram. Islay, of course, is a reference to Scotland’s famous whisky-making island and, indeed, this Yamazaki uses peated malt from the Laphroaig distillery. It is lightly smoky, but still balanced and clean on the palate with the distillery’s signature silky touch.
The Yamazaki 18 Year Old Mizunara, as implied by the appellation, is aged in casks made of Mizunara oak—the wood native to Japan and notorious for being difficult to work with. Still, the results are held to be worth it; with 18 years behind it, this expression allows the spicy, somewhat astringent, sandalwood-like notes to come to the fore. A touch of coconut and vanilla completes its flavour profile.
The Hakushu 18 Year Old Peated Malt takes advantage of the Hakushu distillery’s uniquely soft, pure water and high-altitude terroir to create a uniquely refined expression. Its peat is leveraged by way of clean, herbaceous mineral overtones, with just a hint of spice and kick. It is said to evoke the atmosphere of a forest.
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The Tsukuriwake series was introduced to Kuala Lumpur media by way of a dinner at Skillet KL, across multiple courses that were each paired with one of the whiskies in the collection. Plates ranged from ratatouille to foie gras, providing a varying palette of flavours to complement Tsukuriwake’s diverse make-up. With each expression bottled at 48 per cent ABV, the series is tailored towards connoisseurs who have the knowledge and experience to fully appreciate the uniqueness within each bottle. The full set of four is priced at RM29,999.
