Hey, bars open. In this video I’m trying something a bit special: the Yamazaki Distillery Exclusive that I picked up in Japan at the Yamazaki Museum/tasting room gift shop. It’s a small 180ml bottle, but don’t let that fool you—this one sits at 48% ABV and (from the box) it’s Spanish oak, peated malt, and non-chill filtered. First impression? The colour is gorgeous—super orange and surprisingly dark-looking in the glass. As with all my whisky reviews, I test it three ways: neat, with a splash of water, and on the rocks. Neat, I get that faint “nail polish” note at first, but it quickly turns into a very smoky, very peaty nose. On the palate it’s peaty yet somehow exceedingly sweet and smooth—really balanced—but the burn does come in strong after. With a bit of water, the burn drops off while the peat stays, and the sweetness actually gets elevated (if you like sweet + peaty, do this). On the rocks, it gets interesting: the chill removes the sweetness and the burn, leaving mostly peat. Personally, I still prefer it neat for the mindblowing mix of flavours and textures.