I Think It’s Turning Japanese, I Really Think So…
BY EVAN ECKERSLEY But firstly - poetry:
There once was a man named Taketsuru, who dreamed of being a whisky guru He made a plan to journey to Scotland from Japan, and learn everything there that they knew
His knowledge quickly compounded, making whisky was easier than it sounded He returned to his country and life along with Rita Cowan his new wife, then Yamazaki Distillery was founded
It’s not possible to tell the Yamazaki story without citing the owners; House of Suntory But then Taketsuru left and with balls of some heft, he established Nikka and brought it to glory
Well, that confirms it: I may suck at poetry but if you want to learn more about Japan’s first whisky making century
bottling. I mean, everyone loves whisky sporting a fake tan, am I right? Thankfully, a few countries like Germany mandate this additive be listed on labels. I wish Canada did! Canada: The 9.090% rule allows adding other “spirit” - aged for at least two years, but if it’s a blended whisky being exported and it contains more than 9.090% of other spirits, it requires a certificate of Age and Origin that specifies the percentages of spirits AND the label cannot say Canadian whisky, Rye whisky or Canadian Rye whisky. Clear as mud, right? USA: Whiskey is aged in wooden vessels but has no minimum time listed in regulations. So… Pabst Blue Ribbon Whiskey proudly states that it is aged in wood for an entire 5 seconds before bottling. Assuming it’s because PBR-loving hipsters don’t have time to wait for something to age and potentially taste good. Wait - that explains a lot now that I think about it. But I digress…
use the Google machine and find a few reliable websites. In 2024, Japanese whisky is thriving with new distilleries starting production all over the country in addition the IDEA of Japanese Whisky is booming globally. It is not only foreign and unknown but also undefinable and difficult to find, which makes it all the
more enticing to try. Everybody wants it, but yet most don’t know what “it” is. So what makes Japanese Whisky, umm… Japanese?
Let’s examine some whisky-producing
country differing regulations and quirks.
Scotland & Ireland: No requirement to disclose the addition of E150A (spirit caramel colour enhancement) before
India: Sugar and/or molasses spirit can be blended with a small portion of grain whisky and still be called whisky.
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the whisky explorer magazine
WINTER 2024
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