Very bright gold. This shows some of the warm tatami/dry grass notes seen in Yamazaki 12 year old, this time overlaid with fruit stones, banana chips, fresh persimmon, and, once it opens, cask-generated aromas of crème brûlée, cinnamon toast, caramelized sugar, and cotton candy. The palate is sweet and lush with plenty of vanilla ice cream, but there's sufficient acidity to maintain freshness and prevent things from getting too flabby. £70