Japanese Whisky: A New Tradition

1/21/14 -

Suntory, Japan’s first and most prominent malt whisky distillery, announced last week that they were going to purchase Jim Beam for about $13.5 billion. Although not yet a household name in the states, Suntory, and the ever more visible Japanese whisky industry, are set to take the whisky world by storm.   Japanese whisky and Japanese whisky culture are rooted in Scotland, but also include aspects of Japan’s own heritage. The spirits are made exclusively of malted barley, distilled in pot stills, aged in oak barrels, and reduced in alcohol by local water sources.  There are also important differences that affect the taste of the whisky: maturation in barrel takes place more quickly than in Scotland due to Japan's greater temperature swings. Japanese distillers take advantage of their local oak varieties, which grow slowly and impart high-toned floral and spice flavors, and Japan’s water sources are unique to the country and show different qualities depending on their location. In Japan, whisky is seen as an accompaniment to a meal, and must be flavorful, but not too dominating. The Japanese may experiment with peating malt (the process in Scotland by which malt picks up smoky, iodine tones) but they don’t make whiskies that feature smoke as the dominate flavor. In Japan, it’s most important to maintain a sense of harmony between the fruity, floral, oily, salty, and mineral flavors that fine single malt can show. This doesn’t mean that the whiskies are light or insipid - on the contrary, it is customary in Japan to add water to the whisky or serve it in a highball, so it is very important that the malt has enough character to withstand the dilution.

For those interested in trying Japanese whiskies, the time has never been better.  Much of both of the Suntory and Nikka lines are available in the states, and some of the next generation of hyper-small batch whiskies like Chichibu are starting to trickle in. We don’t think that the aged bottles will ever be commonplace in our market — the thirst for whisky in Japan has a long history; the best malt shops in Scotland have been long supporters, and perhaps surprisingly, the French have taken to Japanese malt with a passion, so there’s a lot of demand for these whiskies.  We are excited to add them to our shelves, and we encourage fans of all spirits to give them a try! JR