Auction introduction: Sotheby’s is proud to present The Yamazaki 55 Year Old, the oldest ever Japanese single malt to be bottled. As one of only 100 bottles from the expressions second, and final release, this ultra rare bottle is a testament to the history and tradition of Japan’s oldest distillery. The Yamazaki 55 is a combination of three casks crafted by three generations of master blenders. The first was distilled 1960 by Suntory founder Shinjiro Torii and aged mostly in mizunara casks, with the second and third being distilled in 1961 and 1964, by Suntory’s master blender Keizo Saji and aged in American White oak. Finally, the fifth-generation master blender Shinji Fukuyo has artfully combined the liquids into this extraordinarily rare release.