![]() ![]() ![]() Taketsuru had studied the art of distilling in Scotland, and brought this knowledge back to Japan in the early 1920s. Torii hired Masataka Taketsuru as a distillery executive. Despite the strong opposition from the company's executives, Torii decided to build the first Japanese whisky distillery in Yamazaki, a suburb of Kyoto, an area so famous for its excellent water that the legendary tea master Sen no Rikyū built his tearoom there. However, he was not satisfied with this success and so he embarked on a new venture which was to become his life's work: making Japanese whisky for Japanese people. He started importing western liquor and he later created a brand called " Akadama Port Wine", based on a Portuguese wine which made him a successful merchant. Torii was a pharmaceutical wholesaler and the founder of Kotobukiya (later to become Suntory). Two of the most influential figures in the history of Japanese whisky are Shinjiro Torii and Masataka Taketsuru. So a blended whisky in Japan will generally only contain malt whisky from the distilleries owned by that same company. In Japan, however, the industry is vertically integrated, meaning whisky companies own both the distilleries and the brands of blended whiskies, and do not trade with their competitors. The components of a blend may involve malt whisky from a number of distilleries, which may be owned by different companies. In Scotland, while a particular brand of blended whisky may be owned by a company that also owns one or more distilleries, it is common for blended whisky bottlers to trade single malt whiskies. ![]() Despite the recent rise of interest in single malt whiskies, the vast majority of whisky sold in the world is still blended. One facet of the style of Japanese whisky comes from the way in which blended whisky is produced, and the differing nature of the industry in Japan. Japanese whisky must be fermented, distilled, aged and bottled in Japan, use some portion of malted grain in its mash, and use water sourced from Japan. The location of Yoichi in Hokkaidō was chosen particularly for its terrain and climate, which were in many ways reminiscent of Scotland (although financial constraints resulted in the first distillery actually being built in the more convenient location of Yamazaki on the main island).īy 2024, products labeled as "Japanese whisky" will conform to new regulations. Pioneers like Taketsuru carefully studied the process of making Scotch whisky, and went to great lengths in an attempt to recreate that process in Japan. ![]() The production of Japanese whisky began as a conscious effort to recreate the style of Scotch whisky. There are also many special bottlings and limited editions. Both of these produce blended as well as single malt whiskies and blended malt whiskies, with their main blended whiskies being Suntory kakubin ( 角瓶, square bottle), and Black Nikka Clear. There are several companies producing whisky in Japan, but the two best-known and most widely available are Suntory and Nikka. Broadly speaking, the style of Japanese whisky is more similar to that of Scotch whisky than other major styles of whisky. Whisky production in Japan began around 1870, but the first commercial production was in 1923 upon the opening of the country's first distillery, Yamazaki. In addition to single malt production, the Miyagikyo Distillery has a large Coffey column still used to make grain whisky for blending, as well as gin and vodka.Japanese whisky is a style of whisky developed and produced in Japan. Nikka owns and operates two distilleries: Yoichi Distillery on the island of Hokkaido, and the Miyagikyo Distillery in Sendai. After working a ten year contract with Suntory, he left to build the Yoichi Distillery in 1934. Taketsuru was sent to Scotland in 1918 to learn about single malt production, and spent his time interning at the Hazelburn Distillery in Campbeltown. WHAT: Nikka was founded in 1940 by Masataka Taketsuru, after having overseen construction of Japan’s first whisky distillery: Yamazaki. HOW: Using a combination of single malts from the Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries, as well as grain whisky from the famed Coffey still at Miyagikyo, the whiskies are blended into a recipe and matured further in a large vat, then bottled at a higher proof than normal. Winner of numerous "Whisky of the Year" awards, the bolder high proof character and rich, Sherry-laden flavors of candied ginger and cakebread have made it a huge hit with high-octane whisky drinkers. due to the fact that it was bottled in a 500ml format, which isn't allowed for whisky in the states. The Nikka "From The Barrel" was unavailable for many years in the U.S. WHY: Often considered the Pepsi of Japanese whisky to Suntory’s Coke, Nikka is Japan’s second largest whisky producer, known for its rich and layered whiskies of finesse. ![]()
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