Yamazaki’s Annual Highball Can Returns, With a Taste of Japanese Oak

The appeal of a highball is its simplicity: whisky, soda and ice. This December, Suntory is putting a more elaborate story inside the can.

Its latest Yamazaki canned highball, Mizunara Kaoru Okufukasa（サントリープレミアムハイボール山崎〈ミズナラ薫る奥深さ〉）, will go on sale across Japan on Tuesday, December 22, 2026. The limited release uses whisky distilled entirely at Yamazaki, with long-aged mizunara-cask whisky contributing what Suntory describes as complexity beneath a floral character.

The 350-milliliter can contains 9 percent alcohol and carries a suggested retail price of ¥761 before tax.

It is the latest installment in what has become an annual appearance. Suntory introduced its first Yamazaki highball can in August 2023, marking 100 years since construction began on Yamazaki Distillery. Further editions followed in December 2024 and December 2025, establishing a year-end rhythm for the release.

The Uncooperative Oak

Mizunara is Japanese oak, a material whose reputation in whisky owes much to persistence. Its wood is difficult to work with, porous and prone to leaking—awkward qualities for something intended to hold liquid for decades.

According to Suntory’s account, the company began experimenting with mizunara in the mid-20th century, when importing oak casks was difficult. What started as a practical response to a shortage eventually became part of Yamazaki’s identity.

Time made the difference. With extended maturation, the wood can impart aromas associated with sandalwood, coconut and incense. Those are characteristics Suntory identifies in its mizunara-aged whiskies; for the forthcoming highball, its description centers on floral notes and the complexity contributed by long-aged stock.

An Increasingly Coveted Name

Yamazaki’s international following has made its aged whiskies increasingly sought after. Yamazaki 12 Year Old, in particular, can be difficult to find at its suggested retail price. The interest extends to travelers in Japan, who visit the distillery to see where the whisky is made.

The annual highball offers a smaller purchase for drinkers curious about the name. This edition gives that curiosity a particular direction: the influence of Japanese oak, presented in a format that requires little preparation.

The packaging carries Yamazaki’s signature colors and large Japanese lettering, alongside an illustration of the distillery’s warehouse. Its December arrival places it among the small luxuries competing for attention during Japan’s year-end and New Year celebrations.

For anyone browsing the drinks aisle, the useful word to remember is ミズナラ. Four characters on the label point to decades of work behind an otherwise very quick drink.