Yamazaki

Shinjiro Torii built Japan's first malt whisky distillery at Yamazaki in 1923, on a misty river junction outside Kyoto whose water was praised by tea masters centuries earlier. Suntory's flagship runs a remarkable variety of still shapes and ferments to compose many spirits under one roof, matured in bourbon, sherry and rare mizunara oak — the Japanese wood that gives sandalwood and incense notes. The 2013 Sherry Cask's 'world's best whisky' crown ignited the global Japanese whisky boom.