A Japanese Whisky Primer

Highland, Lowland, Hokkaido?

By Aaron Gilbreath

Japan is the second-largest producer of single-malt whiskey in the world after Scotland. Still, the island nation’s whisky (spelled without the e, just like Scotland’s) remains unknown to many.

Esquire spirits columnist and cocktail historian David Wondrich says that because of increasing attention being given to quality and innovation, Japanese whisky is going to show up on the radar more. “[The Japanese] are beginning to perfect their own specific style, and it’s very tasty and cool,” he says.

If you like single-malt Scotch, Japan’s offer new brands and flavors to check out. To make it easier, we’ve put together a primer.

A Japanese Whisky Primer cont.

By Aaron Gilbreath

The majority of Japanese single-malt whisky is made following Scottish single-malt distilling methods (for the history behind this, see sidebar). This means that Japanese single-malts are made by combining 100 percent malted barley (mostly imported from the UK) with local mountain and spring water, then distilling the mash in pot stills, and maturing it at least three years in oak.

Japanese single-malt is then moved to casks such as sherry, bourbon, brandy, and port, to impart color and flavor. Scotches typically age 10 to 16 years; Japanese single-malts average 10 to 18 years. Like Scotch, these single-malts are rich, wooded, and highly aromatic.

Blended Japanese whiskies either combine whiskies from different Japanese distilleries, or blend imported Scotch with Japanese whiskies. Most famous is Suntory’s Hibiki 17 (about $111), but there are many other blends. Nikka’s highly regarded Pure Malt Red and Pure Malt White use Scottish malts.

There are approximately 10 Japanese distilleries. Nikka and Suntory are the largest. Nikka emphasizes its products’ adherence to Scottish tradition, while Suntory frames its spirits as truly Japanese.

With Scotch, certain flavor characteristics can be matched to geographical regions. Japanese whisky, on the other hand, has no specific regional influences. Malt styles are defined by distillers’ tastes, and innovation is on the rise. Nikka is breaking from tradition by not using a pot still. Suntory is experimenting with yeasts, still sizes, and malting ingredients, and casking in 200-year-old Japanese oak, which is aromatic and imparts a distinctive flavor. “They call it ‘old temple taste,’” Wondrich says, “because it’s like you walk into an old Japanese temple where there’s incense and wood.”

The Father of Japanese Whisky

Masataka Taketsuru illustration from Nikka 17 label

Masataka Taketsuru was the first person to import Scottish distillers’ use of peat-smoked barley, pot stills, and oak cask maturation to Japan. The son of a sake maker, Taketsuru went to work for Osaka-based spirits company Settsu Shuzo in 1916.

During this time, Japan’s spirit production had been limited to turning sweet potatoes into shochu and distilling neutral grain spirits. Settsu Shuzo wanted to expand its line of basic spirits to include whiskey, and sent Taketsuru to Scotland to learn the craft. After two years of study, Taketsuru left Shuzo and cofounded Suntory’s Yamazaki distillery with Shinjiro Torii in 1923—the country’s first commercial whiskey producer.

In 1934, Taketsuru founded his own distillery. To remain true to Scotch’s taste and traditional distillation, he based his operation in Yoichi, a coastal mountain enclave on Hokkaido climatically similar to Scotland. His company later became Nikka.

A Japanese Whisky Primer cont.

By Aaron Gilbreath

Because Scotland’s whisky regions are familiar to many people, we’ve used them as a loose framework for finding a Japanese single-malt to your taste. Most Japanese companies have yet to establish distribution deals in the United States. Until they do, you must order your bottles online from Europe.

A Japanese Whisky Primer cont.

By Aaron Gilbreath

Unlike some US and UK drinkers, the Japanese take their drams with food. There don’t seem to be standard accompaniments, but Japanese-whisky blogger Chris Bunting enjoys the drink with chocolate, salted fish, even jerky, and recommends Hakushu 12 with sushi. Others pair it with ayu, a sweet fish with melonlike flesh. On his website, Bunting mentions a tasting that paired Yamazakis with miso-mustard duck, herring and marinated salmon, even haggis and mashers.

A Japanese Whisky Primer cont.

By Aaron Gilbreath

To sample by the glass, hit San Francisco’s Nihon Whisky Lounge. Offering what is arguably the best bar selection in the United States, Nihon serves Yamazaki 12, 18, 1986 sherry wood, and vintage 1994, Nikka Gold, and Hibiki 12 and 17. In Denver, belly up to the Whiskey Bar for some Yamazaki 12; in Manhattan, hit the Brandy Library or d.b.a.

For those seeking a bottle, only Yamazaki 12 and 18 are widely available in U.S. stores; other brands must be ordered online: