Few names in Japanese whisky command more respect than Yamazaki, now owned by Suntory. Founded in 1923 by Torii Shinjirō as Japan’s first distillery, it fused Scotch-making traditions with local terroir. Now, a rare bottle of The Yamazaki 55 Year Old—one of the most coveted Japanese whiskies ever released will headline Bonhams’ online auction Whisky Immortal: The World’s Most Coveted Spirits, running from 31 May to 12 June 2025.
Released in 2020, the Yamazaki 55 is Suntory’s oldest whisky—a rare single malt aged in mizunara and white oak, originally exclusive to Japan. A year later, it launched globally at $60,000 a bottle. Fewer than 200 bottles of this extraordinary single malt exist worldwide, and it has become one of the most sought-after whiskies ever produced.
Distilled in 1960 under Yamazaki founder Torii Shinjirō, just two years before his death, the first whisky aged in traditional mizunara oak. A second, distilled in 1964 under his son Keizo Saji, matured in American white oak. In 2020, fifth-generation chief blender Shinji Fukuyo and third-generation master blender Shingo Torii united the two, creating a singular expression of legacy and craftsmanship.
The bottle is a work of art in its own right, presented in a crystal decanter engraved in sandblasted calligraphy, with gold dust and lacquer highlighting the age. It’s wrapped in handmade Echizen washi paper and tied with a traditional Kyo-kumihimo cord. Each bottle comes in a custom mizunara wood box, finished with rich Suruga lacquer, and includes the original presentation case and distillery booklet. The bottle has a bottom-neck fill level and an ABV of 46%.
Few bottles have ever surfaced at auction. Those that do often become the centrepieces of elite collections, rarely changing hands again. For the collector who values legacy as much as rarity, this offering is an invitation to own something quietly profound, timeless, intimate and entirely irreplaceable.