Japan was still relatively new to the whiskey scene, but they were quickly attracting attention by creating a high-quality whiskey that reviled other whiskeys that had been around for centuries. For many whiskey lovers who prefer traditional Scotch or Irish whisky, you may want to try Japanese whiskey and it may surprise you. But, before that, you should know a few things about Japanese whiskey, starting with its history.
The history of Japanese whiskey
Shinjiro Torii, the pioneer of Japanese whiskey, brought it to Japan in 2924, hoping to let Japan taste the famous Scotch whiskey. While in Scotland, Torii spent time learning how the Scots made whiskey. From there, he returned to Japan and began making his own whiskey using Scottish methods.
As whiskey grows in popularity Japandistilleries began to create their own distillation methods. After World War II, Japan's economy developed rapidly, and whiskey became one of the products with strong demand. Because of this, many new distilleries were established, expanding Japan's ability to make high-quality whiskey.
Fast forward 40 to 50 years later, to the 1980s and 1990s, and Japanese whiskey was under fire and many distilleries were forced to close due to a lack of customer support from rival shochu. This 20-year gap saw a significant decline in the Japanese whiskey industry, but if we look back at the last 20 years of the 21st century, Japanese whiskey has made a strong comeback.
Today, Japanese whiskey is considered one of the best whiskeys in the world. They are prized for their flavor and origin. They come in a variety of styles, from light, smooth whiskeys to complex, rich-flavored whiskeys that will keep you warm on the coldest nights.
The Japanese used Scottish distillation methods
As we said, when Torii was studying how the Scots produced whiskey, he took those methods back to Japan and applied them to distilling his own whiskey. Today, there have been some changes to their distillation methods, with more emphasis on improving the process rather than providing consistency. That said, they still use similar distilling methods to the Scots. For example, they will use double distilled malt or peated barley and age the whiskey in wooden casks.
They use Scotch ingredients to make whiskey
Many distilleries in Japan order their whiskey ingredients from Scotland. Their malt and peated barley often come from the islands. What sets them apart, however, is where their other ingredients are obtained.
For example, the water at Yamazaki Brewery comes from the mountains near Tokyo, and the wood used for the aging barrels is Mizunara (natural oak). The addition of these ingredients gives Japanese whiskey a familiar yet unique taste.
They aim for refinement rather than consistency
Since Japanese distilleries use similar ingredients to Scottish distilleries, it's easy to assume that they taste very similar. In fact, if you sat blindfolded experts around a table and asked them to taste each whiskey, many of them would probably find it difficult to tell them apart. However, there are some differences. Scotch whiskey is renowned for its quality and consistency. Considering it's been around for 500 years, it's clear they've always been consistent.
Japan, on the other hand, pays more attention to the refining of whiskey. In an effort to improve, they are constantly tweaking their recipes to provide more flavor or different flavors. The show has great attention to detail and a focus on achieving perfect whiskey.
it is becoming more and more popular
Over the past 20 years or so, Japanese whiskey has risen into the ranks of the world's top whiskeys, which is surprising since many of their distilleries closed down between 1980-90. This is not necessarily in terms of sales volume, but more importantly in terms of quality.
In 2012, Japan’s Yamazaki Distillery’s 25-year-old whiskey won the World’s Best Single Malt Whiskey competition at the World Whiskey Awards. But that's not the only Japanese whiskey to win awards. Taketsuru 17-year-old whiskey also won the competition for the world’s best blended malt whiskey. These are just two examples that prove the quality of Japanese whiskey.
final thoughts
For a whiskey that only started being produced in about the last century, Japanese whiskey is sure to compete with rivals like Scotland and Ireland. Do yourself a favor and check out The best Japanese whiskey collection in the market. You might just find your new favorite whiskey.
