Japanese Whisky

Japanese Whisky

The undisputed founder of Japanese whisky is Masataka Taketsuru, a chemist and businessman whose ambition led him to Scotland to discover how to emulate the success of the Scotch whisky industry. Born into a family that owned a sake brewery, his pursuit of excellence led him to Scotland in 1918, where he furthered his studies in chemistry and distilling. It was a trip that was to ignite an industry which has grown to play a significant role in the global whisky industry.

The leader in whisky distillation in Japan is Suntory, the drinks conglomerate that owns Yamazaki, Hibiki, Kakubin, Chita and Hakushu whisky. In recent years, it also bought up Beam Inc., the US spirits company now known as Beam Suntory. This makes it an incredibly resource-rich and influential player on the world stage. 

Japan is well known for its record prices at auction. Sotheby’s in New York hit a resale record price in 2022 when a 55-year-old Yamazaki changed hands for $600,000. Previously, it had sold for just $20,000. This reminded the world of the dominant place Japanese whisky holds in auction rooms, reinforcing its position as a luxury goods sector that holds value over time. Attractive to investors, collectors and others, the Japanese whisky market became intrinsically linked to wealth. 

However, flavour does matter in this country known for its adherence to the pursuit of excellence. In 2024, Japan introduced new rules for how Japanese whisky can be distilled, matured, and bottled. These strict controls underpinned a demand for security in a thriving market.

Japanese whisky is built on three major variants: blends, malt and grain whisky. A great example of a Japanese blend is Hibiki 21. This 43% Suntory whisky won Best Blended Whisky at the 2017 World Whisky Awards and has soared ever since. A blend of malt and grain whiskies from Suntory distilleries, it’s finished in Mizanura casks. 

Nikka from the Barrel is another well-known and highly respected Japanese label. This cask strength blend is bottled at 51.4%, and unusually for Japanese whisky, it comes in a 50cl bottle. This smaller size has done nothing to dissuade fans of its worth. Both spicy and fruity, this blend of whisky from Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries is packed with flavour.

A terrific malt whisky from Japan is the Okayama Single Malt. Distilled using water from the Asahi River at the Okayama Distillery, this 40% single malt is a soft and young entrant. Matured for three years in brandy casks, it used barley from Germany and Japan to create its light nose and exotic fruit palate of coconut, mango and mint. 

Another respected non-age statement in the Japanese single malt category is Yamazaki Single Malt Limited Edition 2022. Matured in Mizanura, it’s bottled at 43%. 

A much older and more valuable single malt is the Karuizawa Founders Cask, bottled at 60.8%. With only 347 bottles produced, this fine single malt was distilled in 1981 and bottled in 2012, giving it a three-decade provenance. Incredibly rare, this collector’s item is destined to change hands many times before it peaks in price.