Japanese whiskey: an overview of 10 popular brands
What country do you associate whiskey with?? Most people will answer this question: with Ireland or Scotland. However, few people know that whiskey is also made in Japan.
Currently, there are about 20 companies in Japan that produce this drink, but the two most famous and widely available are Suntory and Nikka. Both distilleries produce blended, grain, and single malt whiskeys.
The history of whiskey in Japan
Since the alcohol we are considering is a fairly young drink, it does not yet have its own special history or legend of creation. Everything is much more prosaic.
Initially, it was planned to create an exact copy of Scotch scotch, but due to certain climatic factors and the quality of raw materials in Japan, a unique product was created.
In 1917, the head of the Settsu Shuzou alcohol company decided to start producing whiskey. To do this, he needed to learn from the experience of more experienced and developed countries in this area. In 1919, he sent the son of a local sake entrepreneur, Masataka Takeshura, to Scotland.
Masataka worked for two years at the famous Scottish distilleries Hazelburn and Longmorn and studied chemistry at a local university. In 1921, when he returned home with new knowledge, Settsu Shuzou did not dare to realize his idea.
Great ambitions and plans were realized in another company - Kotobukiya, which was later renamed Suntory. Its head Shinjiro Tori built the first distillery in Yamazaki in 1923, and in 1929 the first Japanese whiskey Suntory Shirofuda was released.
In 1934, Masataka Takesuru quit his job and founded his own company, Dainipponkaju (known today as Nikka). The production was located near Hokkaido.
It was only after World War II that Japanese whiskey began to develop actively, and in the 60s the whole world learned about it. As strange as it may sound, Japanese whiskey is the fifth most popular type of whiskey in the world, after Scotch, Irish, bourbon and Canadian whiskey, of course.
10 popular brands of Japanese whiskey
If we divide the Japanese market into percentages, then approximately 70% of whiskey is produced by Suntory, Nikka - 15%, and the remaining 15% is divided among smaller companies.
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"Yamazaki" Distiller’s Reserve, 43% (Suntory)
Soft single malt whiskey, which is aged in wine barrels and oak barrels of Minzunara.
The whiskey has a deep flavor with subtle notes of raspberry, white peach, spices, candied fruit, red currant and light hints of coconut.
Yamazaki is not only No.1 among the Japanese, but is also popular in 35 countries. Best consumed neat.
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Suntory "Royal", 43% (Suntory)
A premium blended whiskey that is aged in oak barrels and has a fairly balanced taste with light peat notes.
Recommended to be consumed neat or with water as a digestif, but can also be served as an aperitif.
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"Hakushu" Distiller's Reserve, 43% (Suntory)
Single malt whiskey is aged in white American oak barrels.
It has light aromas of yuzu, citrus (grapefruit and lemon) and thyme.
The bouquet of aromas contains a delicate smell of cucumber, mint, young herbs and a fine line between pine needles and ripe melon.
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"Hibiki" Japanese Harmony, 43% (Suntory)
A special type of blended whiskey, which combines different single malt brands aged in different types of barrels.
The Japanese themselves consider it the standard of "the art of Japanese whiskey".
The flavor symphony has a rather dry taste with deep notes of honey, pear, raisins and cinnamon, and the aftertaste reveals complex combinations with hints of malt, peat smoke, pepper, white chocolate, oak and orange peel.
This brand is best consumed neat or with water, soda, ice. But it is also good for mixing in cocktails.
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"Nikka" Blended, 40% (Nikka)
Blended malt with a beautiful golden color, which is aged in sherry and bourbon barrels.
Quite balanced taste with a rich fruity aroma.
The bouquet of flavors plays with different shades: pear, orange, roasted grain, honey, lemon peel, almonds and light notes of spices, liquorice and oak.
Can be consumed as an aperitif or digestif.
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"Miyagikyo", 45% (Nikka)
Single malt whiskey is aged in oak barrels.
The drink has an incredible flavor with light notes of fruit, cocoa, nuts (almonds and cashews), mint and incense.
The whiskey is best consumed neat, but it also goes well with fruit and cigars.
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"Taketsuru", 43% (Nikka)
Made from a blend of several malt whiskeys that have been aged for 10 years in oak and sherry barrels.
The drink is quite fresh and light with an incredible fruity flavor and characteristic smoky notes.
Recommended to be consumed neat or with water as an aperitif or digestif.
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"Tokinoka, 40% (Eigashima Shuzo)
The whiskey blend is a perfectly balanced mixture of grain (25%) and single malt (75%) distillates aged in different types of barrels.
In the taste notes you can taste fruit, oak, honey, dried fruits (figs, dates, prunes), vanilla and caramel.
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"SS" Excellent Mild Blend, 43% (Sapporo)
The blended whiskey is aged in oak barrels and has a pronounced sweet woody flavor with notes of fresh fruit and heather.
The aroma reveals tones of vanilla, pear, burnt oak, malt and fresh butter.
This is a great digestif that can be consumed neat or on the rocks.
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Ginkgo, Blended Malt Japanese Whisky, 46% (Ginkgo)
Blended from single malt whiskey, it was created by Ichiro Akuto, a renowned master of single cask whiskey at the Hanyu distillery.
Ginkgo is a tree with healing qualities, the existence of which dates back 150 million years.
The uniqueness of Ginkgo is that it is blended with whiskey from the best Japanese distilleries, which is quite common in Scotland, but rare in the Land of the Rising Sun.
We can say that Gingko represents the true taste of Japan.
How to drink Japanese whiskey
The Japanese are very fond of whiskey and drink more of it per capita than Americans and the British.
Japanese whiskey is drunk in the same way as scotch:
In its pure form
With ice or water in a ratio of 1:4, and sometimes 1:6
In cocktails
Interesting fact! The Japanese drink more whiskey than their national sake.
Japanese whiskey goes well with local cuisine - rolls, sushi and fish. And varieties with a pronounced smoky flavor are most often served with cheese, ham or meat.
Update: 30.11.2017
Category: Whiskey and Bourbon