Japanese Whisky: The New World Leader

Japanese whisky has moved from curiosity to global leader with speed that has disrupted a spirits industry that once assumed Scotland and Ireland were the permanent custodians of the single malt. Yamazaki, Hakushu, Hibiki, Nikka — these names now command prices and respect that the Scott’s almost certainly envy. Visiting Japan provides access to bottles that have become unobtainable elsewhere and to distillery experiences that explain why the quality has reached current heights.

The Yamazaki Distillery, outside Kyoto, offers tours that trace Japanese whisky from its founding by Shinjiro Torii in 1923 through its current pre-eminence. Nikka’s distilleries — Yoichi in Hokkaido, Miyagikyo in Tohoku — tell the parallel story of Masataka Taketsuru, who trained in Scotland and pursued his own vision. Tours require advance booking and fill quickly; plan ahead or accept disappointment.

The bars of Tokyo and Osaka provide alternative education. The specialist whisky bars — Zoetrope, Bar High Five, Cask Strength — stock bottles that have disappeared from retail and serve them with the attention that Japanese bartending brings to everything. The prices are high but often lower than secondary market equivalents elsewhere. The experience combines drinking with education in ways that bottle collecting at home cannot match.