The Yamazaki distillery lies just southwest of Kyoto, nestled deep within the heart of Mt. Tennozan. Among all the sites selected as possible distillery locations, this was the one Shinjiro Torii had his heart set on. The mist-shrouded Yamazaki region provides the distillery with a beautiful backdrop painted with a palette of seasonal colours and an abundance of crystal clear water. It is all of these attributes combined that makes Yamazaki the ideal spot for making whisky.

Yamazaki is steeped in history. From the mid 7th century onward, its proximity to the imperial court made it the ideal playground for the era’s aristocracy. They would idle away the hours hunting, reading poetry and playing music in the splendid country residences that dotted the region. Now known as Minase, the area was originally called Minaseno, “the field where water originates.” Famed for its crystal clear waters and scenic beauty, it was a source of inspiration for some of the greatest poets of the time. Sogi the grand master of renga, a cooperatively authored poetry, as well as Yamazaki Sokan, one of the first haikai, or comic renga poets, had strong ties to the area. Yamazaki was also the place where Senno Rikyu, the “father of the Japanese tea ceremony,” came to develop the form of this art known as wabi-cha. This rich historical and cultural legacy stands behind every bottle of Yamazaki’s world-class single malt whisky, the one they call “noble.”

Each day at the Yamazaki distillery begins with tasting the water and assessing its quality. Distillery workers call Yamazaki “a place of wonder” because it has been the source of delicious pure water for ages. This water is one of the key factors for Yamazaki single malt whisky’s deep rich aroma. The surrounding area is renowned for its pristine waters. A stone’s throw away from the Yamazaki distillery lies a natural spring wellhead known as Rikyu no Mizu (“water of the imperial villa”), which has been designated by Japan’s Ministry of the Environment as one of the best natural mineral waters in the country. Nestled in the heart of Mt. Tennozan, Yamazaki is home to the bamboo forest and freshwater spring where the famous Senno Rikyu would draw pure water to perform the Japanese tea ceremony. It is this same water, which has captured the imagination of people for centuries, that goes into making every bottle of Yamazaki single malt whisky.

Miwataseba yamamoto kasumu minasegawa
yube wa aki to nani omoi kemu
As my eyes wander upon the misty mountains’ fall into the Minase River
I wonder upon why I thought the night belonged only to fall

This famous poem penned by Emperor Gotoba in the early 13th century, depicts a spring night’s view of the misty mountains of Yamazaki. The view hasn’t changed over the years, a soft mist still hangs over the bamboo forest that envelops the Yamazaki distillery. The distillery lies nestled in a narrow valley sandwiched between Mt. Tennozan and Mt. Otokoyama on the edge of the Osaka Plain and Kyoto Basin. It is where three tributaries, the Katsura, Uji and Kizu Rivers, merge and flow into the mighty Yodo River. Due to this unique geographic formation, fog lingers almost throughout the year. The damp climate makes Yamazaki an ideal location for aging superior whisky in oak casks.