Since the very beginning, back in 1923, the Yamazaki distillery has taken extra special care to use just the right casks needed to craft a wide variety of single malt whiskies. The Yamazaki distillery employs a wide range of cask types that are made in-house by our own skilled craftsmen. Among them is the puncheon, a short, stout 480-litre cask used to cradle our new-make spirits as they quietly mature over a span of years. Inside an oak puncheon the per-litre area of whisky that comes into contact with the wood is small in comparison to the typical 180-litre bourbon barrel or 230-litre hogshead and the aging process moves at a slow crawl. The unique characteristics of the puncheon make it perfectly suited to the temperate climate of the mist-shrouded Yamazaki region. Our expert cask makers hew to time-honoured techniques in crafting puncheons made purely from edge grain North American white oak. The puncheon is an essential ingredient that gives Yamazaki single malt that unique balance of sweet flavour and deep rich aroma loved the world over. Bottled at 48proof, Yamazaki Puncheon single malt whisky is made to be enjoyed straight up. Savour the sweet coconut and vanilla flavours on top of a rich aroma that only a puncheon can deliver