What Does the Yamazaki Refill Spanish Oak 2026 Taste Like? Inside Our Munich Tasting

Suntory describes the Yamazaki Refill Spanish Oak 2026 as stewed apricot with cloves and nutmeg on the nose, fresh cherries, dried figs, charred peach and cacao on the palate, and coffee and wood smoke on the finish. Daniel Schöll of Suntory poured it at a tasting at the Spiritory Shop in Munich, alongside three cask samples that are not for sale.

Key Takeaways

• Suntory's tasting notes for the Yamazaki Refill Spanish Oak 2026 name stewed apricot, fresh cherries, dried figs, charred peach, cacao, coffee and wood smoke.

• The bottle was distilled in 2014 and 2015, matured in refill Spanish oak casks and bottled at 48% ABV.

• Three cask samples were poured, labelled Yamazaki 12YO Spanish Cask, Yamazaki 12YO Mizunara Cask and Hibiki JH White Oak Cask, each marked not for sale.

• Daniel Schöll, Brand Ambassador for Suntory, said the samples matter for the other whiskies of the evening and for all the whiskies Suntory makes.

• The order ran from the welcome highball through the 12 Years Old and the three samples to the Refill Spanish Oak and the 18 Years Old.

• The next tastings at the Spiritory Shop are Glenfarclas on Wednesday 25 November and Glendronach on Friday 27 November.

Tip: Pour a Yamazaki 12 before a Spanish oak whisky, as this evening did. Starting with the house style makes it easier to notice what one type of cask adds.

A Highball, Six Whiskies and a Journey Through Japanese Whisky

The tasting took place at the Spiritory Shop in the Stemmerhof in Munich, and it sold out in advance. Daniel Schöll, Brand Ambassador for Suntory, knows this subject deeply and took everyone on a journey through whisky: how it started, what makes Japanese whisky so special and how it differs from Scotch.

Six whiskies followed the welcome drink, in this order:

• Yamazaki Distiller's Highball, as the welcome drink

• Yamazaki 12 Years Old, at 43% ABV

• Three cask samples, not for sale

• Yamazaki Refill Spanish Oak Limited Release Edition 2026, at 48% ABV

• Yamazaki 18 Years Old, at 43% ABV

The Yamazaki Refill Spanish Oak Was the New Bottle of the Night

The Yamazaki Refill Spanish Oak Limited Release Edition 2026 stood on its own plinth in the middle of the table, freshly released and sixth in the order. Its label gives the key facts: distilled in 2014 and 2015, bottled in 2026, cask type refill Spanish oak, 48% ABV in a 700 ml bottle.

Refill means the casks have already held whisky before. When Daniel came to this pour, he explained that many different refill casks are married together in it. So the whisky is not the voice of one cask, but of a whole group of them.

Suntory describes the idea in its own words: the cask "takes on new character after the first fill, revealing a more refined, mellow and vibrant expression of Spanish oak while preserving the depth and complexity fundamental to Yamazaki."

Suntory's tasting notes describe a nose of stewed apricot compote with cloves and nutmeg. The palate brings fresh cherries, dried figs, charred peach and shaved cacao, and the finish is rich and fruit forward, with coffee notes and wood smoke.

Spanish oak has a long history at this distillery. Suntory says Shinjiro Torii chose Spanish oak casks when he founded Yamazaki in 1923. For a closer look at how this edition differs from the last one, read Yamazaki Refill Spanish Oak 2026 vs Spanish Oak 2022.

Three Cask Samples You Cannot Buy

The three samples were the part of the evening that no shop can sell. Daniel put it plainly: "Three of these liquids, you cannot buy them for money or kind words." He added that they are hugely important for the other three whiskies of the evening, and for basically all the whiskies Suntory makes.

The bottles were plain, with printed labels in Japanese and English. The Japanese text calls them whisky for Suntory seminars, and the English text says "Not for sale: no commercial value". Each one is labelled at 50.5% ABV:

• Yamazaki 12YO Spanish Cask Whisky: by far the darkest of the three in the bottle, a deep mahogany.

• Yamazaki 12YO Mizunara Cask Whisky: a golden colour, from the Japanese oak that is closely tied to Japanese whisky.

• Hibiki JH White Oak Cask Whisky: the palest of the three, a light straw gold.

Side by side, the difference in colour was easy to see. On the table, a box held four blocks of cask wood, marked Spanish Oak, White Oak, Mizunara Oak and French Oak.

The link to the bottles is direct. Suntory says the Yamazaki range matures whisky in American, Spanish and Japanese Mizunara oak, so samples like these let guests taste the kinds of wood behind the range one at a time. For more on how wood shapes flavour, read What Is a Whisky Cask?

Why Japanese Whisky Tastes Different

Daniel also took the guests back to late 19th century Japan, to show how Japanese whisky developed and why Suntory makes a different kind of whisky today. His questions were simple: why do these whiskies taste the way they do, and what is done differently?

Along the way he compared them with Scotch, and he made one thing clear first: "I love Scotch whisky." The comparisons were not about one being better or worse. They were there to show the differences, because Suntory works in Japan with different starting conditions, such as climate and water.

Two More Tastings Are Coming in November

Two more tastings follow at the Spiritory Shop this month, each with six whiskies and a new release as its focus.

Glenfarclas Tasting, Wednesday 25 November, 19:30, €49. With the Glenfarclas team: the 12 and 15 Years Old, the Vintage 2012 from The Trinity Vintage Series, the 17 Years Old, the 190th Anniversary Limited Edition and the new Christmas Edition 2026, the 30th Anniversary Edition.

Glendronach Masterclass, Friday 27 November, 19:30, €59. With the Glendronach team: the 15, 18 and 21 Years Old Sherry Cask Matured, Ode to the Embers, Ode to the Dark and the new 14 Years Old Boynsmill House Edition, made to mark 200 years of Glendronach.

Tip: Both evenings start at 19:30 at the Spiritory Shop, Plinganserstraße 6 in Munich. Seats are limited, and tickets are on each tasting page.

FAQ

What does the Yamazaki Refill Spanish Oak 2026 taste like?

Suntory describes stewed apricot with cloves and nutmeg on the nose, fresh cherries, dried figs, charred peach and cacao on the palate, and coffee and wood smoke on the finish.

Who led the Yamazaki tasting in Munich?

Daniel Schöll, Brand Ambassador for Suntory, led the tasting at the Spiritory Shop in Munich.

Which cask samples were poured?

Three samples, labelled Yamazaki 12YO Spanish Cask, Yamazaki 12YO Mizunara Cask and Hibiki JH White Oak Cask, each at 50.5% ABV.

Can you buy the cask samples?

No. Their labels mark them as not for sale. The Yamazaki Refill Spanish Oak Limited Release Edition 2026, the 12 Years Old and the 18 Years Old all have product pages on Spiritory.

When are the next tastings at the Spiritory Shop?

The Glenfarclas Tasting is on Wednesday 25 November 2026 and the Glendronach Masterclass is on Friday 27 November 2026, both at 19:30.