10 Things You Need to Know About Japanese Whisky

"Scotch whisky companies frequently trade barrels with each other to obtain flavors to balance their blends and bourbon distillers regularly sell barrels to bottlers that don't have their own distilleries. In Japan, however, the rivalry of whisky makers runs so deep that there is virtually no market for bulk whisky trading or sales. This means blenders have to make many types of whisky themselves. Suntory does this by using different yeast strains, still sapes, and barrel types at two different distilleries."

"The UK and France have fallen in love with the luxury side of Japanese whisky as well, but while there may be more of a variety available there, the U.S. drinks more of the spirit, and the market is growing fast."

"The film Lost in Translation, features an American movie star named Bob Harris working as a pitch-man for Japanese Whisky maker Suntory. While Bill Murray has not done any whisky ads in Japan, many other Western stars have, including Sean Connery and Keanu Reeves. But this vintage commercial featuring Sammy Davis Jr. may be the most amazing of them all."

"Most of the whisky consumed in Japan is served mixed with soda water. The highball was very popular in the '50s and '60s and has come roaring back in recent years as younger and more casual drinkers were looking for a way to enjoy the flavors of whisky without the intensity of shots interfering with meals. As a result, many Japanese whiskies are designed to be very friendly when combined with ice and water."

"While the single malts win all the international awards and garner most of the attention, the vast majority of whisky made and consumed in Japan is blended. The same is actually true in the West as well, just to a slightly lesser extent. While we tend to be prejudiced against blends as being somehow 'cheaper' than single malts, quality blends are celebrated in the East."

"Japanese whiskies have been cleaning up in the major whisky awards. Suntory has medaled and won trophies dozens of times in the top three spirits awards: the International Spirits Challenge, the International Wine and Spirits Competition, and World Whisky Awards. Just this past month, Suntory was named 'Distiller Of The Year' for the third time at the prestigious ISC awards. This is a big deal—it's the very first time a whisky house has ever won this award three times. Watch your back, scotch. Move out of the way, bourbon."

"Japanese whisky makers are quite proud of the Japanese whisky category, and are not trying to muscle in on scotch. As a matter of fact, the two largest producers in Japan, Suntory and Nikka, both own distilleries in Scotland. They are invested heavily in the industry, employ Scottish people and support Scottish farms by using Scottish barley."

"Japan drinks more malt whisky than Scotland and they make more malt whisky than the United States. Sure, there are a lot more people in Japan than there are in Scotland, and the U.S. makes much more bourbon than malt whisky, but these facts still show how important whisky is in the country."

"Shinjiro Torii built Yamazaki, the first whisky distillery in Japan, in 1923 and released the first true Japanese whisky in 1929, so it's not exactly the new booze on the block. Since 1923, Suntory remains a family affair, with three generations of master blenders passing down distillation and blending techniques."

"Japanese whisky makers studied scotch whisky-making closely in the early 20th century as the nation emerged from hundreds of years of self-imposed isolation. As a result, they use the same ingredients as scotch: malted barley for single malts, and corn, wheat, and barley for blends."