What Is Japanese Whisky Made Of & What Makes It Unique?
The concept of distillation goes back to ancient times with evidence of distillation found on tablets dated c. 1200 BCE describing perfumery processes. These tablets provided textual evidence that a primitive form of distillation was practiced by the Babylonians of ancient Mesopotamia.
Even the distillation of alcohol isn’t new. The first distillation of alcohol appeared in Italy in the 13th century before distilling spread to Ireland and Scotland. And with the spread of distilling across Europe, the methods and flavors developed and the first whiskey was produced. The Old Bushmills Distillery in Northern Ireland, the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world, dates back to 1608.
No longer limited to northern Europe, whisky is now being distilled and marketed all over the world and Japanese whisky has earned a reputation for quality.
Wakon Yosai
Wakon Yosai refers to the Japanese spirit combined with Western learning. This practice adopts Western arts while valuing Japanese traditional spirituality and harmonizing the two.
Japanese whisky is made in true Wakon Yosai fashion. The best technology is brought from Scotland, the homeland of whisky, and is partnered with Japanese tradition and ingenuity. This partnership produces a spirit that is now world-renowned and widely recognized. Several Japanese whiskies have been named best in the world. In his 2015 Whisky Bible, Jim Murray ranked a bottle of Japanese whisky as the world’s best whisky and Japanese whisky has received new awards every year since.
###What is Japanese Whisky Made Of?
Traditionally, just three ingredients are needed to make whisky: water, barley (or other types of grain) and yeast. Because of its simplicity, the quality of each ingredient is crucial in giving Japanese whisky its unique and unmatched taste.
Pristine Water
Japanese whisky is made from some of the purest, most pristine water in the world. Japanese distilleries are in strategic locations surrounded by crystal clear rivers and streams from pure white snow melt. This very high quality of water is another notable reason behind Japanese whisky’s superior taste.
Rice
Rice has been used to make alcohol for thousands of years. Shochu is a Japanese spirit that is distilled from many ingredients including barley, rice, and sweet potatoes. The rice’s starches are turned into sugar using Koji, a kind of mold that is also used for soy sauce, sake, and miso. Then it will go through the fermentation process.
Distillation & Aging Process
In general, the distilling of Japanese whisky is very similar to that of Scottish whisky. But certain minor differences add up to make Japanese whisky unique and to give it its one of a kind, award-winning taste.
Japanese distilleries have stills with a range of shapes and sizes that yield single malts with distinct characters while traditionally Scottish distilleries use a uniform set of stills with all consistent shapes and sizes.
Once the make is ready for the maturing process, the new make is poured into wooden casks. The whisky reacts with the wood of the casks and with the air. The difference in the environment creates a completely unique and different character of taste in Japanese whisky. To be considered Japanese whisky, the make must mature for at least three years.
Just as in Scottish whisky, Japanese whisky is wood-aged in American oak and Sherry casks. But another unique quality of Japanese whisky is the use of Mizunara oak and sakura or cherry tree . Mizunara oak is a beautiful species of oak tree that’s native to Japan. The Mizunara oak is special in that it will leave traces of its unique characteristics like spice, citrus, or incense. How is Japanese Whisky Unique? Kaizen is the Japanese philosophy of constant improvement. The cultural trait brings the desire to experiment and improve and yields extremely high-quality whisky. Japanese whisky makers stay true to their culture and observe every detail and will not settle for less than the best.
Japanese whisky is not only unique in the way that it is made, but just where it is made brings depth unseen in other whiskies. The varied climates and changing seasons across regions of Japan add special complexities to the whisky that’s aged or blended there.
Japanese people tend to avoid flavors that are too drastic and overwhelming. This could be why whisky made in Japan is known to be a little smoother and softer than the typical bold and pungent scotch. Distillers in Japan have created a style that is more floral and fragrant to be more pleasing to the Japanese palate, and palates worldwide. Unique Enough for a Taste
Reading about our whisky may have you thinking about sipping on some this evening. Please check out our roundup of the best Japanese whisky in the biz. We know you'll appreciate it even more now that you know what makes Japanese whisky such a pleasant spirit to enjoy.