Japanese whisky: here's everything you need to know
The origins of Japanese whisky
It all started in 1923, when Masataka Taketsuru took over the Yamazaki distillery. Taketsuru was brought up in the family's drinking house, which turned into a passion for distilling and the art of making whiskey.
He turned this passion into action by learning chemistry in Japan, before going to Glasgow University to further his studies. He has been an apprentice in several distilleries and his passion for whisky has grown.
In 1919 Taketsuru moved to the Longmorn Distillery where he learned a great deal about how to distil the perfect malt.
Having returned to Japan in 1920, he took many lessons with him, just as his mother, Rita, whose family was born with Taketsuru, turned his apprenticeship into success when she bought Nikka Whiskey and opened the first Japanese distillery in Yamazaki.
It is also said that he had made Longmorn stills in his distillery, stills that are still in use today.
The giapponese whisky market today
At this moment there are nine distilleries in Giappone. They sell all over the world and certainly represent the greatest strength of Scotch whisky and its reputation for being the best whisky.
However, this has not always been the case. It is only in the last two decades that whisky from Japan has been appreciated even outside of Japan. And much of this fame depends on how much it manages to win prizes.
In 2003 Yamazaki 12 Year Old from Suntory was awarded the gold medal at the International Spirits Challenge in the United Kingdom, it was the first Japanese whisky to receive such recognition, transforming the perception of Japanese whisky throughout the world, which is now recognised for its quality.
From there it has declined and its popularity has increased to such an extent that it is now in short supply all over the world.
Around 20 years ago, Japanese whisky was not so popular and therefore the distilleries had not planned that in the future it would be sold through the whisky bottlers.
This led Nikka to break the expressions with age statements, such as Hibiki, 17 years old, and Hakushu, 12 years old.
This means that the demand is too high compared to the availability of blended whisky, but what makes Japanese malt so different and fascinating compared to other whiskies?
Harmony of flavour
The concepts of harmony and balance are essential in the experience of Japanese whisky. They are important themes in the creation of the Japanese malt and they reflect the Japanese culture.
There is the desire to strike a balance between liquid and flavour, structure and maturation are important parts of the whisky from Japan, so it is more common for the Japanese whisky makers to use Coffey rather than stills in the glass. This creates a sweeter malt and develops more flavour from the whisky.
Coffey stills are more efficient than glass stills because the feeding of the malt is costly and is made in batches. The malt is also purer and has a purer taste, because the alcohol content is about 90%, resulting in the harmony and balance that many Japanese brands are close to creating.
An excellent example of how the Giapponese use their Coffey whiskeys well is Nikka's Coffey Malt. This whisky is incredibly smooth and rich in flavour, particularly vanilla and malted cereals.
It has a luscious taste with an unctuous consistency that sits very well with the bold and sweet flavours. The mouthfeel perfectly completes the taste, working to highlight the most bitter flavours.
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Balanced spores
Another very important aspect of the whisky from Japan is the flavour of the whisky.
This characteristic is best represented in the expression Hibiki Japanese Harmony. This blend is at the heart of Suntory's Hibiki range, which is a selection of miscelated malts.
With mixers, the idea of harmony is even more important to achieve, because the malts used must work in tandem to create a mixture that works.
The expression Hibiki Japanese Harmony is the idea of harmony in liquid form, made from malts that have been blended in a range of bottles including American oak, Mizunara (Japanese oak) and Sherry, this dram is the union of different flavours and consistencies.
It is done exceptionally well, with all the different notes that are completed by hand, more than just a lot of attention.
Hakushu 12 Year Old is also a wonderful example of Japanese malt and the search for the harmony of flavors. It has won numerous awards and brings together some of the best aromatics in Japanese distilling.
It is earthy and elegant, with lots of sweet caramel notes, combined with rich woody flavours. There are also fruit and hints of cherries, with a wonderful smoky flavour in the background.
The flavors are imbalanced one on the other without being in conflict. They work together to really bring a sensation to the whole world.
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The evolution
The whisky industry in Japan could have started with a lot of influence on the part of the whisky producers, but much has changed since then. Today there are very different production processes from Scotch producers.
Typically in the Giapponese distilleries, only light must is produced. It contains less lipids than those found in the dry must. Lipids produce a nocciola-like flavour, Japanese whisky often does not have this type of aromatic profile.
And while European and American oak barrels are the most commonly used in Scotch whiskey producing countries, the Japanese distilleries mainly use Japanese oak barrels.
The giapponese oak is more porous and more morbid than other types of oak and therefore it is not used as much, because it is subject to higher percentages of Angel's Share.
The aromatic profile of the giapponesi is more soft, with more fragrant and aromatic notes. In addition, it is not uncommon for distilleries to have their own blend. Suntory has a customised milk called suntoryeus lactobacillus.
The milk is one of the key ingredients in the production of whisky and has an effect on the flavour. Much emphasis is placed on the type of milk used in whisky.
Often the distillers in Japan also use more than one type of liquor, which is not commonplace in places like Scotland. This aims to obtain the best possible fermentation, allowing the extraction of all the flavour of the grain.
Japanese blended whiskey
Distilleries in Giappone generally carry out the miscelation process internally, rather than miscelating malts from other distilleries, which means that the range of miscella has more diversity and variation compared to many distilleries in Scotland or Ireland.
This puts control back in the hands of the distillers and allows for greater experimentation by mixing types of distilling, fermentation and maturation.
If you are asking for the taste to be in harmony in a bottle, now is the time to taste a good whisky from Giapponese!
