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Japanese Whisky
Producers you should know
Few spirits have captured our imaginations like Japanese whisky. What began with the founding of Yamazaki – the country’s first true single malt distillery – in 1923, has slowly grown into a global phenomenon. Today, Japanese producers are counted among the most prestigious names in whisky. These are some of the best in the business, from the big players that started it all to newcomers prioritising craft and innovating new styles.
Few distilleries can boast a cult following like Chichibu. This small producer, located north-west of Tokyo, specialises in truly handmade whiskies with a remarkable depth of flavour. In addition to highly sought-after single malts, founder Ichiro Akuto and his team create acclaimed blends and blended malts that offer a great introduction to their approach to whisky making. Expect tropical fruitiness, judicious use of oak and exceptional quality across the board.
Chichibu 10 Year OldThe First Ten
£1,200
(£1,714.29 per litre)
Chichibu Red Wine Cask 2023
£235
(£335.71 per litre)
Ichiro's Malt Double Distilleries 2021 (Chichibu x Komagatake)
£304
(£434.29 per litre)
Ichiro's Malt & Grain Limited Edition World Blended WhiskyBlue Label
£175
(£250 per litre)
Ichiro's Malt & Grain World Blended Whisky
£72.50
(£103.57 per litre)
Ichiro's Malt MWRMizunara Wood Reserve
£99.95
(£142.79 per litre)
This storied company was founded in 1934 by the godfather of Japanese whisky, Masataka Taketsuru. With its Miyagikyo distillery in Sendai and Yoichi in Hokkaido capable of producing numerous styles of whisky, Nikka creates superb blends as well as acclaimed single malts. The strikingly presented Nikka from the Barrel is one of the bottlings that helped make the company famous around the world and remains a classic to this day.
Suntory’s now iconic Yamazaki single malts introduced many enthusiasts in Europe and North America to Japanese whisky. Bottlings from Yamazaki’s sister distillery Hakushu and the celebrated Hibiki blends have helped cement Suntory’s reputation as a titan of whisky. Though the industry in Japan has many more producers than it did at the turn of the 21st century, Suntory remains the pinnacle for many whisky drinkers.
Komasa Jyozo, owners of Kanosuke, are a relative newcomer to the whisky scene and have been producing traditional Japanese shochu in the southern city of Hioki for more than a century. Since installing copper pot stills and laying down its first casks of single malt in 2018, Kanosuke distillery has garnered praise internationally for its characterful and modern Japanese whiskies. A key player in the next wave of Japanese distilling and definitely one to watch.
Discover More About Japanese Whisky
Delve deeper into this fascinating distilling culture with our introduction to Japanese whisky and a guide to making the perfect Whisky Highball in our Inspiration section.