I’m sad to report that there might not be a Yamazaki Limited Edition 2018.
Suntory has announced their Western liquor summer gift collection for 2018. Notably missing from the collection: Yamazaki Limited Edition 2018.
Why is that significant? Since at least 2014, the first year of the Yamazaki Limited Edition, this Western liquor summer gift collection has always included that year’s Yamazaki Limited Edition. Have a look at their gift collections for 2017, 2016, 2015, and 2014. All of them contain the Yamazaki Limited Edition for that year. And yet, it’s suspiciously missing from this year’s list.
Granted, I did say “might.” The fact that it’s not in this particular announcement isn’t 100% proof that Suntory won’t release it at all. That said, our only other hope may be the winter gift collection, which also contains the Yamazaki Limited Edition. Here’s 2017’s winter collection as an example. But that isn’t announced until September.
Given the dwindling stocks of aged Japanese whisky, this move probably isn’t a surprise to many. The Yamazaki Limited Editions are vattings of whiskies matured at least 20 years, after all. But it’s still a bit disappointing!
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Sigh… was looking forward to 2018 LE