What a shock it’s been as not a single Scottish whisky has made the top five rankings in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible in 12 years. And who’s been beating them consistently, you ask? The Japs!
Yes, you read it right. ‘Old is Gold’ certainly seems to be working for them as the country’s oldest distillery Suntory, founded all the way back in 1923, is the proud producer of the Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask 2013 – the undisputed baap of all Whiskys.
Not even a century old and Japanese whisky is moving at the same pace as the country, on its way to carve out its own distinct style. Offering different styles of flavours and types, their malts and blends are quality at its very finest.
It took two to tango
While the world marvels at the wonders of Japanese whisky, these magical potions certainly owe their existence to the Scots. So much so, it took Masataka Taketsuru, the man who started it all, to make a trip all the way to Scotland to learn the tricks of the trade.
And the rest they say is history indeed. What followed was him partnering with Shinjiro Torii in 1921. Things did seem in harmony for the first two years, only to see the duo going their separate ways. Torri went on to form Yamazaki on the outskirts of Kyoto, while Taketsuru lead from the front at the Yoichi distillery in Hokkaido.
Their prowess and business acumen didn’t just work wonders back then, the companies founded by Torii and Taketsuru – Suntory and Nikka respectively – still continue to rule the roost whenever Japanese whisky is spoken about.
The legend has his very own TV show
The Japanese government sure knew how to repay Taketsuru in the best way possible. One of the many achievements included them broadcasting a docudrama in 2014, titled Massan. The show, based on the lives of the Masataka and his wife Rita became an overnight hit. And no prizes for guessing that it led to millions making the trip to Nikka’s distilleries.
It’s raining awards for Japanese Whisky
Awards and Japanese Whisky brands are a match made in heaven. Way back in 2001, Nikka’s 10-year Yoichi was awarded the “Best of the Best” by Whisky Magazine. Other accolades for the brand include the Taketsuru Pure Malt 17 year bagging the “World’s Best Blended Malt” at the 2018 Whiskies Awards.
And if Nikka’s winning awards, Suntory isn’t too far behind. A major highlight for them was the Suntory’s Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013 being named the world’s best whisky by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible in 2015. Three years later, the Hakushu 25-Year Old won the “World’s Best Single Malt,” at the 2018 World Whiskies Awards.
What makes it so unique?
It’s not just the whisky that’s better than the rest. The manner in which they’re produced, the casks to the very specifics, is what makes them stand out. The devil is certainly in the details as not many would know that the Minzunara Casks are used to ensure that the whisky is filled with flavours of deep vanilla, honey, floral blossom and coconut.
Other whiskies are rested, aged or finished in Shochu casks, which are used to distill the traditional Japanese spirit of the same name and imbue further unique flavours.
Goes good with the food
Blending has the benefit of making some Japanese whiskies approachable to newcomers, but it has a secondary benefit as well: It makes Japanese whisky relatively food-friendly. Japanese whisky tends to be lighter and much mellower in style than other whiskys.
What could one buy?
Nikka Coffey Grain – Sweet on the nose, dominated by vanilla, and with maple syrup and brown sugar notes, it’s one for those who like their whiskies sweet and decadent.
Suntory Yamazaki Single Malt 12 Years – With apple and honey notes giving way to hints of barrel spice, it’s very drinkable and recommended as a good entry point to Japanese whisky.
Nikka from the Barrel – Much like the name – The whisky comes from the blending barrel (as opposed to the maturing barrel). Nikka from the Barrel has a higher alcohol ABV of 51.4%. This is a travel exclusive bottle found outside of the US, mostly in duty-free stores.
Other variants include the Yamazaki Bourbon Barrel, Yamazaki Puncheon, Yamazaki Mizunara and the Suntory Hibiki. There’s also Chichibu, which is new in the market.
So drink away if you ever lay your hands on some whisky from the Land of the Rising Sun. Cheers!
