Japanese Whisky
Origins
In the world of spirits - Japanese whisky is a relatively new creation. While most whiskies have been around for many centuries, Japanese whisky is still young in comparison having been first distilled in the 185os.
You can’t talk about Japanese whisky without talking about the two men, the “Fathers of Japanese Whisky”, Masataka Taketsuru and Shinjiro Torii. Torii was initially a pharmaceutical wholesaler, but later found his passion for wine and opened the Akadama Port Wine company. There he began to import spirits into the country and found a great deal of success and wealth. Loving whisky, he also wanted to find a way to bring one of his favorite spirits to the country. To do this, he sought the help of Taketsuru. Taketsuru had studied organic chemisty at the University of Glasgow and had also worked at a plethora of distilleries in Scotland learning how whiskey was made. Together, the two of them would open the Yamazaki distillery together and create some amazing spirits.
After a few years of perfecting their techniques and finding great success - Taketsuru eventually went off on his own to open the Dainipponkaju distillery in Hokkaido where climates were most similar to Scotland. Later, Torri would rename the Yamazaki distillery Suntory and Takesuru would rename his company Nikka. To this day, these two distilleries meet international acclaim and produce some of the most sought after whiskies in the world!
What Makes it Japanese Whisky?
For years, Japanese whisky makers had free-reign over the production of their spirit and have been making some amazing products. However, for the first time ever, the Japan Spirit & Liqueurs Makers Association (JSLMA) have decided on a set of legal terms that went into effect on April 1, 2021! Current distillers have until the end of March 2024 to meet the new criteria and create new products or re-label their already existing products.
Standard Legal Definitions:
● The spirit must be fermented, distilled, and aged at a distillery in Japan
● It. must contain malted grains, but other non-malted cereal grains can be added
● Water used to make the spirit must come from Japan
● The spirit must be aged for a minimum of three years
● It must be bottled in Japan
Tasting Notes & Popular Expressions
Modeled after the Scotch way of producing spirits, Japanese whisky has many similarities without the smokey and peat flavors that are typically present in Scotch. In exchange, you’ll find more subtle notes present in this whisky, such as vanilla, cherry, cinnamon, clove, citrus peels, and coconut. Japanese whiskies also tend to be drier than other whiskey spirits like bourbon and Irish whiskey.
Suggested Brands - Suntory Toki, Yamazaki 12, Hibiki Harmony, Nikka Coffey Grain, & Hakushu 12
Suggested Cocktails - Mizuwari, Japanese Highball, Yamabuki, Tonka, & Tokyo Drift