But what exactly sets Japanese whiskey apart from its western contemporaries, and how did it come about?
History
Japan’s whiskey history can be traced back to two key figures: Shinjiro Torii and Masataka Taketsuru.
A pharmaceutical wholesaler, and founder of what would later become Suntory whiskey, Torii started importing western liquor, and released a unique brand or port based on Portuguese wine.
Eventually though, through dissatisfaction with his company’s success, he decided to branch out, moving into whiskey distilling with the explicit goal of creating a domestic whiskey for the Japanese market.
Taketsuru had been a distiller in Scotland, where he had learned at the hands of the masters, and when Torii hired him as his distilling executive, it became a recipe for success.
After working at Kotobukiya (later Suntory), and helping Torii establish the Yamazaki Distillery, Taketsuru went on to form his own whiskey distillery called Dainippon Kaju, which eventually became Nikka in more recent history.
Reputation & Market
Prior to the year 2000, the market for Japanese whiskey was almost entirely domestic.
This changed in 2003, when Nikka’s 10 year Yoichi single malt whiskey won the “best of the best” prize in the awards for Whisky Magazine.
From 2004, Japanese brands began being circulated on the American market, where they gradually garnered fan bases, growing in popularity with the widening cocktail culture of the late 2000s into the 2010s.
Nowadays, Japanese whiskey is considered some of the best in the world, and it consistently wins awards both domestically and abroad.
How Is It Made?
What sets Japanese whiskey apart from western styles is the wide use of malted barley and locally sourced water, which helps to give the whiskey its distinct taste.
Despite being initially an attempt to replicate scotch whiskey from the Highlands, Japanese whiskey (particularly brands like Suntory) resemble the body and flavor of traditional Irish Whiskey (such as Jameson’s), with a sweeter, unique taste created through the inclusion of apples, vanilla, and various indigenously sourced spices.
Ways To Drink Japanese Whiskey
As with all liquors, there are countless ways to consume them, depending on personal taste, preference, and the situation you are in.
Japanese whiskey is no different, and the unique flavor palette means you can go in a much more unconventional direction than you would with other styles of whiskey, such as Scotch and Irish.
The Osaka Sour
A personal favorite of mine is the Osaka sour, a distinctly Japanese adaptation of the traditional whiskey sour cocktail, which gained much popularity in the jazz age of the 1920s.
As its name suggests, the drink’s appeal is its sour taste, but in the case of Japanese whiskey (especially brands like Suntory), this has a whole different taste palette.
The sweetness of the apple, vanilla, and spice combination creates the perfectly balanced foundation.
Begin with an ounce of Japanese whiskey, then introduce a half ounce of lemon juice, a half ounce of sugar syrup, and a dash of egg white or cocktail foamer to finish it off.
Alternatively, this can instead be completed with Indian tonic water, which blends all of the flavors, and creates a light, bubbly, champagne-colored concoction that resembles a Highball, perfect for evenings out in the sunshine, or cocktails in a sophisticated nighttime hang spot.
The Old Fashioned
Another stalwart of the cocktail industry, the Old Fashioned is a famous whiskey cocktail that can be greatly shifted up with the use of Japanese whiskey in place of the usual bourbon.
Add an ounce of Japanese whiskey, followed by two dashes of angostura bitters, a dash of sugar syrup, and garnish with a slice of fresh orange, and a cocktail cherry.
If using Suntory, the orange and cherry garnish will blend perfectly with the apple, vanilla and spiced flavors, and if using a less sweet brand, the combination of the bitters and the sugar syrup will create a sharp but tasty concoction that feels right out of a gangster movie.
Begin with a glass of crushed ice. Then grind up seven mint leaves, combine with two generous dashes of lemon juice, a teaspoon of syrup, and then add ¼ cup of Japanese whiskey.
Simple and refreshing, this is the best way to get the most out of your Japanese whiskey.
The Red Akuma
Another Japanese favorite, the Red Akuma requires mixing blood orange juice, agave, and whiskey in a cocktail shaker, stirring carefully until completely combined.
Then add a jalapeno to the mix, shaking vigorously, before swapping the glass, straining the liquid into it, and serving over ice.
Don’t forget to remove the jalapeno!
The Japanese Boilermaker
A somewhat less conventional (and significantly less sophisticated) variation is the Japanese boilermaker.
Similar to a regular boilermaker, as well as drinks like the Irish car bomb, a Japanese boilermaker includes a shot of Japanese whiskey dropped into a pint of Japanese beer.
Not for the faint of heart!
The “Straight Up” / “On The Rocks”
Of course, when sampling any fine whiskey, the way to have the most flavorful experience is either straight up, or over a small amount of ice.
Suntory is especially drinkable and smooth due to the combination of sweet flavors, and as such this is the perfect sipping whiskey, which can be enjoyed on its own or with a single ice cube for minimal dilution.
Final Thoughts
And there we have it, the best ways to consume Japanese whiskey.
Of course, there are countless other variations you could try, these are just a few of our personal favorites. Why not try some yourself, or better still, experiment to find a flavor combination that works for you? You won’t be disappointed!
Hi, I’m Jason Patrick, and for as long as I have been alive, I have been obsessed with Japanese culture. From the sights and sounds of Japan’s many cities to its culinary delights that have become famous worldwide, I simply cannot get enough of this wonderful nation!
I hope that, by exploring this website, you all will develop a much deeper appreciation for Japan, and that it may even influence you to pay it a visit yourself eventually! It is definitely a trip of a lifetime, and whether you experience it firsthand, or through my own website, I’m sure you will become just as passionate as I always have been!
