Japan is often referred to as the land of the Rising Sun due to its relative East location from the Chinese point of view. But perhaps it’s time for a new moniker. The Land of the Rising Whisky.
Many avid whisky lovers (uisge in Gaelic) could recite the different whisky producing regions in Scotland, the liquor’s traditional home. And most consumers are familiar with other popular international offerings such as Canadian Club Whisky, which rose to world prominence largely thanks to the 1920s US Prohibition Era, and famous Irish cousin Jameson Whiskey, discerned by the Irish use of the ‘e’ in whiskey. But although Japan has been producing Whisky commercially for almost a century, it has only recently become a key player on the international stage.
Japanese beverage company Suntory, best known in most markets predominantly for their green melon liqueur, also began the country’s Whisky movement. Suntory Founder Shinjiro Torii established the Yamazaki Distillery in 1923, and since then Suntory have pioneered the unique Japanese whisky style. Years later, after continual refinement to appease the unique local whisky palette, their 3 leading brands Hibiki, Hakushu & Yamazaki can now be found on Australian shelves. Recent widespread critical acclaim coupled with a swag of significant awards can be thanked for propelling Japanese Whisky into the mainstream whisky consciousness.
Last year there was a seminal moment akin to the infamous Judgement of Paris Wine Challenge in the 1970s, where for the first time in history Californian Wines beat their French opponents in an official wine tasting competition. In 2014 the whisky world was similarly shocked when a Japanese Whisky took out Best Whisky in the World in the famed Jim Murray Whisky Bible. Interestingly, no Scottish whiskies even made the Top 5 list. Awarded an impressive 97.5 out of 100, The Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask 2013 was reviewed by Jim as “near indescribable genius” and consequentially is now sold out world-wide.
Prior to winning the world’s best whisky, Sophia Coppola’s cult movie Lost in Translation also had an impact on promoting Suntory whiskies to the pop culture aficionados of the western world. In the film, Bill Murray’s character has been hired to appear in a Japanese TV commercial advertising Hibiki 17 year old whisky and repeated says, “…make it a Suntory time”. Legions of Murray fans have since adopted the phrase “Suntory time!” and proceed to yell it out every time they order or consume the drink in ritualistic fashion. These new younger whisky drinkers find the delicately light and approachable Japanese signature style extremely attractive.
Unlike their Scottish counterparts who are limited considerably by maintaining traditional house and regional style, the Japanese master distillers are able to create universally pleasing styles by having the ability to blend across a number of completely different batches. This is particularly apparent in the distillation process, which is a key production component that affects the final flavour. While each Scotch distillery tends to have one specific type of still, the Japanese have an array at their disposal. Therefore the Japanese distillers enjoy a far wider spectrum of batches to draw from to tweak and the create the final blend.
If you’re ready to begin your journey and see what all the fuss is about, Suntory produce a great value entry level option, simply called Suntory Whisky in a distinct patterned oval-shaped bottle. Or jump in head first and try a higher end example such as the Hibiki 17 year old, which although pricey is worth its weight in gold. Whether you’re a tried and true Scotch lover, or someone eagerly looking jump on the new age whisky bandwagon, you will be rewarded. Japanese whisky is here to stay.
