Blended

Blended Japanese Whisky

Japanese whisky is highly regulated. This is a situation that came into force in recent years and ensures that the high quality and public perception of Japanese whisky is protected. There are a number of whisky styles in Japan such as Japanese single malts, Japanese blended malts and the whiskies featured on this page, which is blended Japanese whisky.

Since the country began making whisky in the early 1900s Japanese whisky has sought to emulate and match the standards and styles of Scottish whisky distillation. Similarly to Scotland, the production of blends held a very important position within the minds of whisky makers.

Many of the blended Japanese whisky brands from distilleries like Hibiki and Nikka have won prestigious global awards for their blended whisky, often outpacing single malts and single pot stills in blind tastings. The fact that the whisky is a blend is not a measure of its quality, despite the public’s perception that a single malt is automatically better than a blend. Japanese blended whisky represents some of the most complex and interesting bottlings in the whisky world.

A great example of a top-class Japanese brand is Hibiki 21. A multiple award winner, this 43% blend of malt and grain whisky from Suntory claimed the Best Blended Whisky award at the 2017 World Whisky Awards. It remains a hugely popular bottle winning great prices in auction houses and beyond.

A sibling in the Hibiki household is the Hibiki Harmony series which includes the Hibiki Blossom Harmony 2021 and the Hibiki Harmony Master Select.  The Harmony series was created to elevate the Japanese blends approach to whisky making, with annual and special releases. Using a series of grain and malt whiskies the whisky maker has created an unparalleled celebration of the art of the blend.

Another blended Japanese whisky global winner is the Nikka from the Barrel bottling. This 51.4% cask strength bottling is presented in 500ml bottles that have captured the attention of whisky fans all over the world. A blend of grain whiskies with Miyagikyo and Yoichi single malts, it set out to capture the delicate aromas and flavours that normally only a distiller gets to experience. First presented in 1985 by the Nikka Distillery, the iconic square bottle quickly found fans among those who were seeking something special within the blended whisky landscape.