Hibiki Japanese Harmony

Japanese Whiskey Varieties

Today's hugely successful commercial market for Japanese whiskey, which shares many of the production methods and ingredients with Scots, owes much to Masataki Taketsuru's research. In 1918, this Japanese citizen traveled to Scotland with the intention of studying organic chemistry, but became interested in the production of Scotch whiskey. Similar to Scotch whiskey, Japanese whiskey also uses malted barley as a base for fermentation and aging in wooden barrels. However, the commonly used Mizunara oak, instead of French or American oak, gives Japanese whiskey its unique character of spices and citrus fruits. There are several whiskey companies in Japan, but the two most famous and widely available are Suntory and Nikka. Both produce blended and single malt whiskeys and blended malt whiskeys, with their main blended whiskeys being Suntory kakubin and Black Nikka Clear. There are also many special and limited editions available.