Scotch Whisky Magazine
Japanese Scotch Triumphs
In 1975 a friend asked me to participate in the marketing of a new whiskey, India. A few days later arrived with a brown bottle in the form of an eagle and poured me a glass of amber liquid, which was like any other whiskey he had ever seen. He smelled of whiskey. But she knew motor oil, with an aftertaste of Liquafruta – a particularly nasty remedy preferred by an aunt cold I spent summers with his childhood. Or at least that's how I remember it now, thirty years later.
I never did get involved with that particular business and have prevented imported scotch-alikes ever since. So it was with some surprise I read that 20-year-old Yoichi, distilled by Nikka, beside The Sea of Japan has been voted the best world of single malt whiskey in the World Whisky Awards, organized by Whisky Magazine in the UK in April.
Another Japanese triumph was Suntory, Hibiki receiving the award for the best in the world, blended whiskey, for the second consecutive year. This must be especially galling for Scottish distillers, as it was in Scotland Masataka Taketsuru who learned the art of distilling in the 1920s. When he returned to Japan was the founder of Suntory whiskey distillery is now.
The winners were chosen in a blind tasting by a panel of master blenders sixteen, journalists and distillers from a selection of around two hundred different whiskeys the world. Yoichi beat some formidable local names, including last year's winner, Talisker 18 years old, distilled on the Isle of Skye.
The judges said that the Japanese distillers were producing excellent Scotch with the variable climate in Japan assisting maturation and the establishment of a pure whiskey, with a more interesting nose. Traditional distilling apparatus such as coal stills, rarely used in Scotland, is also credited with adding flavor to Japanese products.
A Suntory spokesman said that while exports to Europe were relatively small, had managed to increase sales of your brand a little more Yamazaki two thousand bottles four years ago to forty-eight thousand bottles last year. Kiyoshi Monoko, Suntory's marketing director for Europe was very upbeat after his victory, saying: "15 years ago we were told it was nonsense to try to sell Japanese whiskey with the rest of the world. Now we have many, many fans enjoy Japanese whiskey and looking for new brands to try.
With exports percent more than about fifteen years, the Scottish industry probably will not go to Japan as a major threat. But last year Scottish distillers decided to make a combined investment of £ 400 million pounds ($ 800 million) to be spent over the next three years improve existing distilleries and building new refineries and storage. They hope this investment will give them the ability to protect markets existing and address the growing demand from emerging markets of China and India.
Although it only began making whiskey eighty years ago at the Distillery Yamazaki, the Japanese seem to have learned a lot and prizes consensus seemed to be that the makers of Scotch whiskey still deserved his reputation, but not could afford to be complacent.
Tetsuji Hisamitsu, chief blender Yoichi distillery, just smiled and said he was "very moved" for the award.
About the Author
Ex ad-man living at the end of the world.
http://oldmalt.com/
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