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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/slightlysnobby on 2024-03-13 02:47:54.

First off, I hope this kind of trip report is okay. I wanted to write about my recent chance to visit the Yamazaki Distillery, partly for myself, and partly to update some of the wonderful and incredibly helpful trip reports about it that have been made in the past (since most are from before the renovation that happened last year - for example, there’s now a lottery system and a few prices that I came across in my planning were out of date).

The Lottery

Actually, my wife grew up not twenty minutes from the distillery. She said back in her high school days, they’d get bored and wander around the place for fun - gone are those days. There is now a lottery system in place. I applied in January for March tours. There are a few English tours, but the majority are Japanese, of course. I figured weekdays had a better chance than weekends. You can enter up to five times, so I put down two English tours as my first preferences and three Japanese tours to fill the rest. I ended up winning a spot on my third choice, which was the first of the three Japanese tour preferences. Not sure if this was pure luck, or maybe competition wasn’t too bad for those spots. If chosen, there is a 3000 yen admission cost that needs to be paid online within a week or so of the lottery results to guarantee your spot.

The Tour

It was a rainy day, which added to the atmosphere of the place. I’ve passed it on the train many times and always loved how it’s just perfectly nestled in at the foot of that little mountain. Check-in was smooth. You them climb upstairs to the museum and gift shop. If you’re early, you can check them both out. There is an app (IOS/Android) you can download which gives you access to an English audio guide. The tour guide spoke super basic English and only used it for pleasantries. I was able to follow along in Japanese until the fermentation room, but the combination of not knowing technical vocabulary, combined with trouble hearing the guide (her mic wasn’t super loud) made me put in the audio guide. I would say the audio guide felt about 50% as comprehensive as what she was saying, and it was also hard to hear the audio, but it was informative nonetheless. The thing that stood out to me the most was the smell - everywhere was just divine, woody, toasty. The kind of smell that makes you want to come back in the dead of winter because it just warms up your soul. After walking through the distillery, there’s the tasting. You get to try three components that make up the Yamazaki blend: a white oak cask malt, wine cask malt, and mizunara (Japanese wood) cask malt. This is followed by a taste of the Yamazaki Single Malt (Distiller’s Reverse/NAS), and then a second taste of it, but this time you’re given ice and soda and told you can drink it how you like. I made a highball, as did most others. There were some small snacks and chocolates to pair it with. As a last “surprise”, we were told that all tour participants have the right to purchase one 700ml bottle of the Yamazaki Single Malt Distiller’s Reverse. Judging by everyone’s reaction, this was a very big deal. One bottle was 5000 yen. I did not buy one, choosing to spend money in the gift shop instead, I hope I don’t regret it. Suntory has announced that they will raise the MSRP to around 7000 a bottle in April, and I see that the going price on Amazon JP is about 17,000 yen a bottle. So it might have been my last/best chance to get a bottle at the lower price.

Tasting, Part 1

After the tour, I immediately headed to the tasting room. You’re allowed 6 pours per visit, although no more than 3 pours per order. Also, the aged pours are restricted to one glass per visit. It is cashless and only debit and credit cards are accepted (the gift shop does take cash though). I will put pictures of the menu below. There is a Yamazaki 18, Hakushu 18, and Hibiki 21 flight which someone last year said was 1800 yen, well it is now 3000 yen. The legendary pours are now 4000 yen, so a small price bump too. I went for the Hibiki 30 and Yamazaki 25. As mentioned, Suntory is raising the MSRP on these bottles in April, from 160,000 yen to 360,000. At least not in the near future, I don’t know when I’ll get a chance to try these again, so I wanted to make the most of the experience. I’m channeling a previous trip report someone else wrote by saying that, in a way, I was hoping I wouldn’t be knocked off my feet by these pours, but they were both easily the best whiskys I’ve ever had, especially the Hibiki 30. I will be thinking about that one for a long time.

Gift Shop

I’d heard there was a 300ml bottle of minimal information Distillery Limited Edition Yamazaki, which I was excited about, but alas they didn’t have any. Not sure if it’s been discontinued, but there is a sign vaguely apologizing that certain products may not be in stock. Instead, there are two gift sets with 180ml bottles of Yamazaki Single Malt Distiller’s Reserve, one with chocolate (price unsure), the other with a highball glass (about 3300 yen). I think it’s one of each per customer. I got the highball glass set because I like that kind of branded glassware. I also got a coaster (some connection to the barrels - possibly recycled barrel wood?) and “grown up” Pocky snacks. I haven’t mentioned it yet, but you get a souvenir tasting glass at the end of the tour too. At this point, a huge tour group arrived and stormed the shop, so I bought my goods and went back down to the tasting area, as I figured that’s where the group would be swarming to next (I was not wrong).

Tasting, Part 2

I figured I’d use up my allotment of the six pours - err, well at least 3 more of them. The servers were new though, so there’s a chance maybe they wouldn’t have recognized me. Who knows? I was looking for something that wouldn’t break the bank this time, so I got pours of Chita (200 yen), 2023 Yamazaki Limited Edition, and 2023 Hibiki Blossom Harmony (both 300 yen, they don’t seem like regular menu items as they were listed on a seperate flier, so I figured I’d give them a try). The Chita was fine, I’ve had it before, but I mean going from a Hibiki 30 to the Chita… maybe I shouldn’t have started with the good stuff haha. I enjoyed the other two a lot though, especially the Hibiki Blossom Harmony (if I ever come across a bottle at a reasonable price, I may be tempted). Despite it being the Yamazaki Distillery, I think I’ve developed a taste for Hibiki after this.

Anyway, sorry to drag it on. Hope it helps anyone planning to visit.

Price menu for the tasting room, and