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Japanese whisky brands have been capturing top honors at international spirits competitions one after another. From 2023 to 2025, the Yamazaki (山崎) brand won the supreme award for three consecutive years at the ISC (International Spirits Challenge), one of the world’s most prestigious competitions. Once dismissed as mere imitation of Scotch, Japanese whisky has become a prize that collectors and investors around the world compete to acquire.
What is it about Japanese whisky that has earned such glittering accolades, and what history shaped its rise to global prominence?
This article offers a comprehensive guide to the fundamentals of Japanese whisky, from its flagship brands to the Japanese whisky standards that took full effect in 2024.
Japanese whisky is the collective term for whisky produced in Japan.
Whisky itself is a distilled spirit made from grains such as barley and corn, produced through saccharification, fermentation, distillation, and cask maturation. It is classified into several types based on ingredients and production methods.
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Single Malt | Whisky made from malted barley only, produced at a single distillery |
| Blended | A blend of multiple malt whiskies and grain whiskies |
| Grain | Whisky that uses grains other than malted barley, such as corn and wheat, as raw materials |
In April 2024, the standards for labeling Japanese whisky, established by the Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association (JSLMA), took full effect.
Only whisky made with Japanese water and malted barley, saccharified, fermented, and distilled in Japan, and matured in wooden casks within Japan for at least three years may now be labeled as Japanese whisky.
Standards for Labeling Japanese Whisky - Japan Spirits and Liqueurs Makers Association
Whisky is broadly classified into five categories by region of origin, known as the Five Great Whiskies of the World.
| Region | Name | Key Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | Scotch | The oldest whisky tradition in the world. Known for its smoky character from peat |
| Ireland | Irish | Characterized by a smooth mouthfeel from triple distillation. Often cited as the birthplace of whisky |
| United States | Bourbon / American | Made primarily from corn and matured in new charred oak barrels. Sweet with vanilla notes |
| Canada | Canadian | Light and mild, often using rye grain. Popular as a cocktail base |
| Japan | Japanese | Rooted in Scotch production methods, evolved uniquely through Japanese climate and craftsmanship. Delicate and complex |
It was only from the 2000s onward that Japanese whisky became widely recognized as one of the Five Great Whiskies. A string of wins at international competitions drew attention from whisky enthusiasts around the world. We will explore that history in detail later in this article.
Japanese whisky took Scotch production methods as its starting point. So what unique qualities has it developed over the past century? Let us look at that next.
While built on the foundation of Scotch production methods, a century of Japanese climate, terrain, and artisanal ingenuity has given rise to three major distinguishing features.
Mizunara is a species of oak native primarily to Japan and parts of East Asia.
Its history as a whisky maturation cask dates back to World War II. When Suntory could no longer import sherry casks from Europe, they turned to domestically available Mizunara oak as a substitute.
Initially, however, Mizunara casks were not well regarded. The wood imparted too strong a flavor when new. But after 15 to 20 years of extended maturation, the casks revealed an unmistakable fragrance, reminiscent of Japanese incense and the aromatic sandalwood found in Buddhist temples, that no other cask wood could produce.
Only trees aged 200 years or more can be used for cask-making, and the wood is notoriously difficult to work with, making it extremely rare.
This distinctive aroma has earned worldwide acclaim. Scottish distilleries have released products finished in Mizunara oak casks, demonstrating how Japan has influenced the global whisky landscape.
Scotland has over 100 distilleries, each generally specializing in producing spirit of a particular style. When making blended whisky, it is common practice to purchase spirit from other distilleries and blend them.
In Japan, the number of distilleries was historically very small, so this option of buying from others simply did not exist. The solution was to install multiple pot stills of varying shapes within a single distillery, and to use different washback materials and yeast strains, enabling the production of a wide range of spirit styles in-house.
Take the Yamazaki Distillery as an example: it houses 16 pot stills and 20 washbacks in both wood and stainless steel. This diversity of equipment allows the distillery to produce everything from fruity to smoky spirits under one roof.
The brewing water used in Japan is predominantly soft water with lower mineral content compared to Scotland. Soft water tends to produce whiskies that are light, smooth, and delicate in flavor.
Japan also has four distinct seasons. In the heat of summer, the wood of the casks expands, allowing the whisky to penetrate deep into the grain. In the cold of winter, the wood contracts, releasing those absorbed compounds back into the liquid. This repeated cycle of expansion and contraction develops complex, layered flavors in a relatively short period.
To better understand what sets Japanese whisky apart, let us compare the production methods and flavor profiles of the Five Great Whiskies.
| Category | Scotch | Irish | Bourbon | Canadian | Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Ingredient | Malted barley | Malted barley (also unmalted) | Corn (51% minimum) | Rye and corn | Malted barley |
| Distillation Method | Mainly double distillation | Mainly triple distillation | Column distillation dominant | Column distillation | Double distillation (with various methods) |
| Maturation Casks | Mainly reused bourbon barrels | Bourbon and sherry casks | New charred oak barrels | Various types | Wide variety (including Mizunara oak) |
| Minimum Maturation Period | 3 years | 3 years | No legal minimum (2+ years for Straight designation) | 3 years | 3 years |
| Flavor Profile | Rich and smoky | Smooth and light | Sweet with vanilla notes | Light and mild | Delicate and complex |
As the table shows, Japanese whisky shares the same primary ingredient as Scotch, malted barley, along with the same minimum maturation period of three years. The Scotch origins of its production methods are evident.
At the same time, the use of a wide variety of casks including Mizunara oak, and the practice of producing diverse spirit styles within a single distillery, gives Japanese whisky its distinctively delicate and complex character, quite different from Scotch. It is also a world apart from the sweet, powerful personality of bourbon, representing a uniquely Japanese direction.
The history of Japanese whisky begins with the passion of two pioneers.
It could be said that all of Japanese whisky began with a single notebook.
Masataka Taketsuru, a young man born into a sake-brewing family in Hiroshima Prefecture, traveled to Scotland in 1918.
While studying chemistry at the University of Glasgow, he undertook hands-on training at the Longmorn Distillery in Speyside and the Hazelburn Distillery in Campbeltown. He meticulously recorded every stage of the process, from mashing to distillation and cask filling, in two detailed technical notebooks.
Later known as the Taketsuru Notes, these records would become the blueprint for whisky-making in Japan.
During his stay, Taketsuru met and married a Scottish woman named Rita (Jessie Roberta Cowan). Despite opposition from those around them, the couple set off for Japan together.
After returning to Japan, Taketsuru was recruited by Shinjiro Torii, founder of Kotobukiya (now Suntory). In 1923, they began construction of Japan’s first full-scale malt whisky distillery in Yamazaki, Osaka.
In 1929, Japan’s first domestically produced authentic whisky, Suntory Whisky (commonly known as Shirofuda, or White Label), went on sale. The year 1923 is often referred to as Year One of Japanese whisky.
Taketsuru later struck out on his own in 1934, driven by his ideal vision. He sought a landscape that reminded him of the misty scenery of Scotland. The cool air and clear water of Yoichi (余市) in Hokkaido matched those conditions perfectly, and he founded Dai Nippon Kaju (later Nikka Whisky).
From the 1980s onward, the whisky market entered a prolonged slump, partly due to the rising popularity of shochu, Japan’s traditional distilled spirit. But in 2008, Suntory launched a major promotional campaign for the Kaku Highball — whisky mixed with soda water, served in a tall glass — and it became a turning point. Whisky popularity was revived, especially among younger generations.
In 2003, Yamazaki 12 Year Old won a Gold at the ISC. This marked the beginning of an accelerating streak of wins at international competitions.
Then, in 2014, whisky critic Jim Murray named the Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013 the finest whisky in the world in his book Whisky Bible 2015. (The fact that not a single Scotch made it into the top five that year sent shockwaves through the global whisky market.)
This event triggered a sharp rise in both the price and profile of Japanese whisky brands, and many popular expressions quickly became extremely difficult to obtain.
Suntory, the company founded by Shinjiro Torii as discussed in the history section, now operates three distilleries — Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita — and produces a diverse range of expressions.
Yamazaki (山崎) is Suntory’s flagship single malt whisky, known for its lush fruit aromas and deep, lingering finish.
The Yamazaki Distillery, whose construction began in 1923, sits on the border of Osaka and Kyoto Prefectures at the confluence of three rivers: the Katsura, the Uji, and the Kizu.
This confluence is prone to fog and maintains high humidity year-round. The distillery draws its brewing water from the same aquifer as the famed Rikyu no Mizu spring, selected as one of Japan’s 100 Outstanding Waters.
Inside the distillery, multiple pot stills of different shapes stand side by side, enabling the production of diverse spirit styles within a single facility. For maturation, the distillery uses bourbon barrels and sherry casks alongside Japan’s distinctive Mizunara oak casks. The sandalwood-like fragrance that Mizunara imparts is a defining element of Yamazaki whisky.
At the ISC (International Spirits Challenge), Yamazaki 25 Year Old won the Supreme Champion Spirit in 2023, Yamazaki 12 Year Old in 2024, and Yamazaki 18 Year Old in 2025, each claiming the top award across all categories. Three consecutive wins by a single brand was a first in ISC history.
Hakushu (白州) is Suntory’s single malt whisky, distinguished by its refreshing and light character.
The Hakushu Distillery is nestled in a forest at the foot of the Southern Japanese Alps in Yamanashi Prefecture, at an elevation of approximately 700 m (2,300 ft).
Known as the Forest Distillery, it uses soft water with a hardness of around 30 ppm, filtered through the granite layers of the Southern Alps. While Yamazaki sits in a humid lowland, Hakushu occupies a cool, dry highland environment.
Distillation employs direct gas-fired heating, which adds a distinctive toasty quality to the spirit. Some of the malt is dried with peat, lending a subtle smokiness to the finish.
Hibiki (響) is a blended whisky created in 1989 to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Suntory. It is crafted by blending malt from Yamazaki, malt from Hakushu, and grain whisky from Chita — spirits from three distilleries.
By combining the diverse malt spirits produced at Yamazaki and Hakushu with the light, corn-based grain spirit from the Chita Distillery, Hibiki achieves a complexity and smoothness impossible to create from any single distillery alone.
The bottle features 24 facets, symbolizing both the 24 hours of the day and the 24 sekki — the seasonal divisions in the traditional Japanese calendar.
Nikka Whisky, founded by Masataka Taketsuru, produces spirits of contrasting character at its two distilleries: Yoichi and Miyagikyo.
Yoichi (余市) is Nikka’s flagship single malt whisky, known for its smoky, robust character. At the 2008 WWA (World Whiskies Awards), Single Malt Yoichi 1987 was named the World’s Best Single Malt.
Built in 1934 by Masataka Taketsuru, who sought a cool climate similar to Scotland’s, the Yoichi Distillery stands on the Sea of Japan coast of Hokkaido, where spirits mature in a cool, humid maritime climate.
Its most distinctive feature is that it still uses direct coal-fired distillation, the very method Taketsuru learned at the Longmorn Distillery.
Because the pot stills are heated directly with coal, the heat is less uniform than steam or electric heating, creating subtle variations in temperature. These irregularities impart a rich, complex toastiness to the spirit.
Adjusting the fire requires skilled human hands, and Yoichi is said to be the only distillery in the world that continues this method today.
Additionally, the malt is dried using locally sourced Hokkaido peat, which adds the powerful smokiness that defines Yoichi.
Miyagikyo (宮城峡) is Nikka’s single malt whisky that serves as the elegant counterpart to Yoichi, characterized by its fruity and gentle flavor.
Completed in 1969, the Miyagikyo Distillery was built on the outskirts of Sendai, at the confluence of the Hirose River and the Nikkawa River. Legend has it that when Taketsuru first visited this site, he mixed his Black Nikka with water from the Nikkawa, took a sip, and immediately decided this was where the distillery would be built.
In contrast to Yoichi’s direct coal-fired distillation, Miyagikyo uses indirect steam distillation. The gentle steam heating produces a spirit that is less aggressive, lighter, and more elegant. The pot stills are also of a bulge-type design, with a wider upper section that causes heavier compounds to fall back into the still, yielding a cleaner, lighter spirit.
Taketsuru (竹鶴) Pure Malt is a vatted malt, or blended malt for international readers, made by blending malt spirits from the Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries. As the flagship brand bearing the founder’s name, it masterfully balances the boldness of Yoichi with the elegance of Miyagikyo.
It has won the World’s Best Blended Malt at the WWA (World Whiskies Awards) a total of ten times, making it one of the most highly acclaimed blended malts in the world.
The aged expressions that were once available — the 17 Year Old, 21 Year Old, and 25 Year Old — were discontinued in 2020 due to a shortage of aged stock. Today, only the NAS (discussed later in this article) version is available.
Beyond the two industry giants, Suntory and Nikka, Japan has seen a surge of new craft distilleries in recent years. The total number of distilleries across Japan has grown from roughly 10 a decade ago to over 100 (including those in planning) as of 2024.
Each distillery draws on the local climate and its own distinctive techniques to produce whiskies with a character quite different from those of the major producers.
Ichiro’s Malt is a whisky produced at the Chichibu Distillery in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture. Founder Ichiro Akuto personally salvaged roughly 400 casks of spirit that were about to be disposed of following the bankruptcy of his parent company, and from those casks began his whisky-making journey.
Despite an extremely small scale of production, with just 400 kg (880 lbs) of malt per batch, Ichiro’s Malt has won the World’s Best title at the WWA a total of seven times as of 2025, earning worldwide recognition.
Akkeshi Distillery is located in the town of Akkeshi, Hokkaido, and models its whisky on the style of Scotland’s Isle of Islay. Taking advantage of Hokkaido’s cool climate, the distillery has released a series of expressions named after the 24 sekki, the seasonal divisions of the traditional Japanese calendar. At the 2022 WWA, Shosho (one of the 24 sekki) was named World’s Best Blended.
Saburomaru Distillery is located in Tonami, Toyama Prefecture, and has been distilling whisky since 1952. In 2019, it introduced ZEMON, the world’s first cast pot still, developed by applying traditional temple bell casting techniques. The unique alloy of copper and tin produces a distinctive flavor that has drawn considerable attention.
Kanosuke Distillery is a seaside distillery located along Fukiagehama Beach in Hioki, Kagoshima Prefecture. It is operated by a shochu (Japan’s traditional distilled spirit) brewery with over 140 years of history, which has applied its proprietary expertise in cask maturation to whisky production. The spirit matures in an environment exposed to ocean breezes.
Every brand and distillery introduced so far in this article is an authentic Japanese whisky, with production from raw materials through maturation carried out entirely within Japan. But not all products on the market can make that claim.
For many years, Japan’s Liquor Tax Act had no provisions regarding the country of origin for whisky. Products made simply by bottling imported spirit in Japan could be sold as Japanese whisky. Moreover, a product could legally be called whisky even if the actual whisky content was as little as 10 percent, with the rest being neutral spirit.
Among these products, some used imagery of Mount Fuji, samurai, or Japanese place names on their labels to create the impression that they were made in Japan. While Scotch and bourbon are governed by strict laws regarding origin and production methods, Japanese whisky had no clear rules at all.
To address this situation, the Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association (JSLMA) established the Standards for Labeling Japanese Whisky in 2021. After a three-year transition period, the standards took full effect on April 1, 2024.
| Category | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Raw Materials | Malted barley (required), grains, and water sourced within Japan only |
| Saccharification, Fermentation, Distillation | All must be carried out at a distillery within Japan |
| Maturation | Stored in wooden casks of 700 liters (185 US gallons) or less for at least 3 years within Japan |
| Bottling | Must be carried out within Japan |
| Alcohol Content | 40% ABV or higher |
Whisky that does not meet these standards cannot be labeled as Japanese whisky. For example, products blending Japanese spirit with imported spirit are sold under names such as World Blended Whisky.
However, these standards are currently a voluntary industry code and are not legally binding on non-member companies. As of 2025, efforts are underway to strengthen enforcement, including pursuit of GI (Geographical Indication) designation with international legal force and the creation of a JW certification logo.
The numbers on a whisky label, such as 12 Year Old or 18 Year Old, indicate the minimum maturation age among all the spirits used in the blend. If the label says 12, every spirit in the bottle has been matured for at least 12 years.
Today, however, these age-statement bottles have almost entirely vanished from the market. Even Yamazaki 12 Year Old and Hakushu 12 Year Old are sold through lottery systems, making them nearly impossible to purchase at retail price.
The root cause lies in the prolonged slump of the whisky market from the 1980s through the 2000s. During this period, producers drastically reduced their output. Then from the 2010s onward, the Highball boom and rising international acclaim sent demand surging. Domestic whisky shipments recovered dramatically, nearly doubling the levels seen during the slump by the late 2010s.
Malt whisky cannot be mass-produced, and maturation takes years. To make a 12-year-old whisky, you need spirit laid down at least 12 years earlier. Demand outstripped supply, and age-statement bottles of popular brands disappeared one after another.
| Brand | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Yamazaki (山崎) 10 Year Old | 2013 | Discontinued |
| Hakushu (白州) 10 Year Old | 2013 | Discontinued |
| Hakushu (白州) 12 Year Old | 2018 | Suspended (limited re - release in 2021) |
| Hibiki (響) 17 Year Old | 2018 | Suspended |
| Taketsuru (竹鶴) 17, 21, and 25 Year Old | 2020 | Discontinued |
What has taken their place is NAS (Non-Age Statement) whisky — bottles without an age declaration. NAS does not mean lower quality. In fact, the absence of an age restriction gives blenders the freedom to combine spirits of various maturation ages, pursuing the best possible flavor at any given moment.
Current offerings such as Yamazaki NAS, Hakushu NAS, and Taketsuru Pure Malt NAS are all highly regarded expressions that capture the essence of their respective brands. If you are trying Japanese whisky for the first time, starting with an NAS expression is an excellent choice.
Japanese whisky is a cultural heritage nurtured over a century, born from the passion of two pioneers, Masataka Taketsuru and Shinjiro Torii, and shaped by Japan’s soft water, Mizunara oak casks, four-season climate, and the skills of countless artisans.
The 2024 standards have given a clear definition to what constitutes the real thing, further strengthening trust in quality. Beyond the two major producers, craft distilleries across the country continue to create new whiskies that reflect the distinct character of their local terroir.
When you drink a whisky with an understanding of its brand characteristics, history, and production differences, the depth of flavor you perceive is entirely different. Take the knowledge you have gained from this article, and set out to find the bottle that is right for you.
