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A Beginner’s Guide to Japanese Whisky
2015 was a moment in history that changed Japanese whisky forever. (And yes — it is whisky without the “e”, spelt the same way as its closest neighbour, Scotch whisky). This was the year that the reputable whisky critic Jim Murray named in his Whisky Bible a Japanese whisky — Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask 2013 — to be the world’s best, with no Scotch whiskies making it to the top five. Japanese whiskies had been slowly creeping up the ladder for years but it was this defining moment that truly altered its international reception and recognition.
Whisky, after all, is not the first thing that often comes to mind when we talk about Japanese alcoholic beverages. Izakaya scenes are often filled with images of foam-lined beer mugs, and for good reason — Japan’s finest brews (Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo, and the like) are popular nationally and worldwide.
At Japan Nakama, we’re big fans of Japan’s national beverage, sake, and have covered it on various occasions (See here, here and here). Now, we thought, is as good a time as any to take a closer look into their friends in the industry — Japanese whiskies.
So, what actually is Japanese whisky?
Japanese whisky is relatively young — the first distillery opened in Japan only in 1923, less than 100 years ago. Japanese whisky is most similar…
