The “What’s your Favorite Japanese Whisky?” Thread That Suggests a Bunch of Single Malts Scotches

On a recent post on social media, someone new to the whisky world asked for what a favorite Japanese whisky was of the group. They got a response of a bunch of single malt distilleries, and this caused a great deal of confusion. The truth is, the posters forgot to mention all the Canadian whisky that also goes into a bottle of Japanese whisky! 

A popular Japanese whisky is about to be delisted as Japanese

Much of the what we assume is Japanese whisky is made entirely elsewhere: 

It’s something of an open secret in the drinks business that much whisky that is labelled Japanese contains spirits from other countries, mainly Scotland and Canada. 

This has been a well known secret. It’s a constant frustration for whisky connoisseurs that see Japanese whisky labelled on products that clearly have little or no Japanese provenance. 

Whisky has no one definition globally. An American Rye needs to start as a fermentation of 51% corn while a Canadian rye need not have any rye in it whatsoever. Indian whisky can be made using molasses while Single Malt Scotch must be 100% malted barley. The variety in rules is terrific and means we’re not all drinking the same thing, but rules (or lack-there-of) shouldn’t call into question the authenticity of the drink. 

The Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association has published their requirements for Japanese whisky. Those requirements will need to be met by March 31st, 2024. Both Nikka and Suntory belong to the association, and Nikka has come ahead of the story with regards to everyone’s (mine) favorite available (affordable) Japanese whisky: 

Nikka from the Barrel have the following disclaimer: “This product does not meet all the criteria of ‘Japanese whisky ‘ defined by the Japan Spirits & Liqueur Makers Association.” It doesn’t state where they stray from the rules but we are sure that Master of Malt customers will be able to work it out.

This comes as a surprise from a marketing perspective, but less-so from a flavour perspective. 

What’s your favorite Japanese whisky? Barry Bradford’s take is a good one: 

As there is no declaration/or legal requirement to declare either, this blend may well include Scotch whisky in it too – e.g. malt from Nikka’s Ben Nevis distillery? Like most blends it is a great unknown exactly what the constituents are and when it is this good it is not worth losing sleep over either, just sit back, relax and drink!

I agree. 

Blended whisky in Japan is still blended in Japan. Like with Canadian whisky, it is the Japanese whisky blenders that are the artists behind the brands. While I suspected Nikka from the Barrel wasn’t distilled in Japan, it doesn’t taste like a single malt scotch or a Canadian whisky. A terrific blend will have its own unique character.

Does this all matter? It’s entirely up to you. Whisky has always been about the story, marketing, and the craft of making whisky. If any of these elements bother you then you get to move on to the next whisky on your list. For some, it’s purely about the taste. You get to vote with your wallet. 

As for Nikka from the Barrel? I really enjoy it. At its price point, it’s not going to bother me that it’s not Japanese whisky. From a marketing perspective, though, credibility matters and Nikka is going to take a hit on this.