I had the nice fortune of sampling the Suntory “Yamazaki” 12 yr old Single Malt Whisky from Japan, while at Sam’s in Downers Grove. The Spirits chief (name forgotten) was kind enough to bring me into the tasting room after asking about the spirit. Before I get into the technical definition of this drink, let me describe it. The nose is grassy, light, with a hint of sweetness. Pallette is dry, grassy, herbal with a touch of mint. I would say that it’s most closely aligned with the Lowland set. The spirit is good but it doesn’t motivate you to buy a bottle. At $29 it’s a fair deal. Now, is this scotch and does this belong in a lineup–or even in an offline experience? First, it’s not called scotch. It’s produced just like scotch but in another land. Being a purist, I consider this not scotch. Like champagne, which is only from Champage, France, similarly produced drinks created anywhere else are called sparkling wines. So “Yamazaki” is a barley single malt, or something like that. I encourage each of you to try it but I don’t think it’s scotch. Comments, please.