There’s a buzz around Japanese whisky. With a dazzling array of difference malts coming onto the market it can be bewildering even for the seasoned enthusiast.

I’ll concentrate on the 2 big distilleries in Japan for now. Firstly because I’ve had more experience with these malts and secondly because they are the readily available ones, although that is changing. It’s only recently that a demand for anything Japanese and malty has brought more obscure Distillers into the market. I need to update my research in this particular field however, lack of funding has curtailed my studies, but I am willing to try should any come my way…?

 

Suntory and Nikka are the two dominant distilleries. In this post it’s Suntory malts in the glass, next post it’s the Nikka Distilleries, in all their various guises.

Japanese whisky has gone bonkers over the last couple of years. There’s not enough aged whisky readily available to keep up with the popularity. Unlike Scotland, which has over well 100 distilleries and over 200 years of distilling back-stock, Japan has distilleries on only 9 sites. Commercially it has less than a hundred years of production. A couple of years ago (2013), Suntory released a Yamazaki sherry casked whisky, a limited release 12,000 bottles I think. In 2014 it won Whisky of the Year.

Enter stage left my greatest whisky regret and the beginning of ‘The Japanese Whisky Gold Rush’. In mid 2014, I was looking for a couple of investment bottles. I selected the ‘said’ Yamazaki sherry cask with a couple of Springbank cask strength jobbies. I was about to ‘check out’ when I released that Southern Water were threatening to destroy my credit rating over a bill I had neglected for a whole 7 days. So I dumped the Yami’ and went with the 2 Springbanks instead. The Yamazaki was £ 90, it’s now worth £1800 to £3000.

Enough said…It’s a personally painful illustration of the increase in the price of Japanese whisky. Is it good? Yes. Is it worth the money? Sometimes. It depends on what you buy and where you buy it from.

 

Suntory Yamazaki 12 year old Single Malt – 43% vol

Was £45 to £60

Now £90 to £130

A non-peated whisky, so no smoky flavours of note. It’s a fruity and floral little number with a lightly spiced, oaky sweet finish. The perfect starting point to get a feel for Japanese single malts. Fresh and smooth with a creamy nutty chew, good texture. It doesn’t hang around long with a shortish finish, it leaves you wanting a refill more often than not. Nothing not to like really. Good whisky for summer, particularly if you’re a lover of Speyside bourbon casked whisky.

If you’re willing to defer your gratification for a while, pick up a bottle at auction on-line at a half decent price, between £40 to £60.

Scotch Whisky Auction is a good site. I use it to check current whisky trends and check what distilleries are in demand and which limited releases are making money on the secondary market. Last month they had over 20 bottles of Yami 12 for drinkable prices.

Scotch Whisky Auctions: https://www.scotchwhiskyauctions.com

Master of Malt has just got a new batch of the 12 in priced at £89.81: https://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/yamazaki-12-year-old-whisky/?srh=1

 

Suntory Yamasaki 18 single malt – 43% vol

Was £120 to£180

Now £299 to £ 378

There are a few places retail and on-line you can still buy the 18 off the shelf: The Whisky Shop has it at £299 in store, Wine Cellar on Amazon has it for £378. Both a little hot on price, but they do have it.

Think Yami 12 with knobs on. More wood, more sherry wood to be precise. Sweet stewed fruits and orange citrus too. That slight pithy tannin edge backs off with time in the glass, if you can stand the wait. Put a half teaspoon of water in if, like me, you can’t. Water, on the whole makes good whisky fruitier and sweeter. It brings out the more subtle toffee, cherry notes in this Flagship single malt from Suntory. 80% ex-sherry casks, there’s American oak, ex-bourbon and Japanese Mizunara oak casks in there too, there’s loads going on. The finish is long and sherried with touch of cherry, citrus and cocoa. This old chap’s a bit of a goer, dancing around your taste buds. You don’t win multiple World Whisky Awards for standing in the corner shuffling your feet.

Both are great whiskies if you can get them, both are over priced at retail level, but worth a punt at auction if you know your limitations.

 

Suntory Yamazaki Distillers Reserve – 40% vol

Was £39 to 45

Now £ 45 to £70

Don’t bother, just don’t bother. Hang on let me just try it again…

Actually it’s not bad, sweeter than I remember and more sherry, richer and heavier than I recall. I’ve had this bottle open for a while and it’s half empty, so I think it’s oxidized a bit which has made it much softer and sweeter, more my style of whisky. Still spicy but not hot, the finish is a quick burst then it’s gone, I suppose sometimes you don’t want to chew it for half an hour.

Ok rethink – still too expensive at current prices for a non-aged younger blended single malt, but it’s very drinkable. Bares little resemblance to its 12 year old bigger brother, with more sherry, dry fruit, caramel flavours. Give it plenty of time in the glass to mellow out. Try a drop of water to get a hint of cherry that on the tip of your tongue for a short while. Buy it at the supermarket or on-line if it’s on offer,. Again it’s a £30, £35 auction buy, more it’s true value for me.

 

Suntory Hakushu 12 single malt – 43% vol

Was £45 to £60

Now £76 to £115

Hakushu is a peated smoky single malt, it’s Suntory’s equivalent to The Islay Whiskies. They have not suffered such an aggressive price hike over the last couple of years. Not sure why exactly, maybe because peated whiskies have less general appeal, more an acquired taste. Committed Islay whisky drinkers are fiercely loyal to distilleries. I’ve met many who are married to Laphroaig or Ardbeg 10.

I’ll put my hands up, I’ve not tried Hakushu for a while, so I’ll defer to my good friend Lyn, who is the manager of The Whisky Shop in Guilford. Her ‘research’ is broader than my own when it comes to smoky malts of Japan, I’m a Bowmore woman.

‘Hakasuhu 12 is so smooth and buttery, like silk.  Hints of honey and lemon, the gentle smokiness, that drifts over like a mist. I highly rate this whisky and would pay the odds for it’.

So there you go, I think Lyn likes it! At 12 years old this whisky has some proper age and I don’t mind paying for that . Older whisky is much less likely to have caramel added for ‘colour’ as the longer casking does the work naturally.

Why does this matter? It’s not a hippy dippy thing about ‘artificial colouring’ I have issue with. It affects the complexity of the flavour, as it also sweetens the whisky. I don’t mind a touch of caramel in some younger Speyside whiskies, it does add some depth of flavour, but I can’t help feeling a little cheated. Natural sweetness from the cask has loads of favours going on. As your month warms the whisky, the sweetness will change, from vanilla to toffee, from bitter citrus to sweet orange. Caramel will only ever taste of caramel. Ok for a glass, but a bit boring for a whole bottle…just saying.

Neither Lyn or I have the Hakushu 18 year old . It’s not readily available any more and at £180 to £350 not really a drinker for my budget. I welcome enlightenment though, so if you’ve had the pleasure please share your experience on the comments page.

 

Suntory Hakushu The Distiller’s Reserve – 40% vol

Was £39

Now £47 to £70

 Again, I bow to Lyn’s greater wisdom on this one.

‘Delicate, fragrant, hint of citrus peel,  green apples, a very slight touch of spearmint (just there on the tip of your tongue) – really refreshing and a subtle smoky background. This one is a keeper.’

These non-aged whiskies always run a little hot for me fresh out of the bottle. From what I remember this youngster is the same. Leave it for 6, 8 minutes and move it gently around the glass to give it some air and allow the alcohol bite to soften. As an entry level peated malt it’s good value at £40/£45 but I don’t think I’d pay £70, in fact I know I wouldn’t. It’s the non-aged thing again.

 

Suntory Hibiki 12 Blended Malt – 40% vol

Was £40 to £60

Now £70 to £120

Confession time, I’m not a fan of blended whisky. Believe it or not I’m not a massive lush, I’m more likely to overdose on Earl Grey tea. It’s the flavour and smell of whisky that gets me. I like whisky you can spread on your toast!

Blended whisky is defined as Malt whisky blended from casks from different distilleries. Sometimes they have an age signature on the bottle – all the casks are the same age in the blend, as with the Hibiki 12. They may also contain grain whisky, which is made from un-malted grain. This makes it much lighter and generally a thinner, less intense whisky. Grain whisky gets really richly flavoured with age. If you have a sweet tooth like me, look for 25 years plus. Big vanilla, toffee, caramel, syrupy sweet, you could put it on ice cream.

Back in the room…

People kept telling me how good Hibiki 12 is. So many people can’t be wrong, right? Wisdom of the crowd and all that…well they were kinda right, but also kinda wrong at the same time. It depends what you’re comparing it to. Hibiki 12 is a refreshing fruity side step for whisky drinkers who prefer blended, and single malt lovers looking for softer touch.

It’s light and easy drinking, pretty typical of younger Japanese blended malt. If you like Monkey Shoulder or Chivas Regal 12 you’ll get on fine with this one. Lighter sherried fruit flavors and a twig of oaky citrus, but for me it’s a little hot and thin, I like texture, ‘umph’ in my whisky. If you like delicate favours it’s good with a lump of ice on a hot summer’s evening. But if you’re into heavier single malt, It’s a bit meh. It’s not horrible, it’s very pleasant in fact, but meh.

Big problem for me is price, too expensive. Amazingly this 12 year old blend is now also getting hard to find. Last time I checked, available from specialist shops and on-line only. The supermarkets are most likely to stock Hibiki Harmony in store: a non-age signature variation of the 12, it’s around 50 quid!

I haven’t tried it, to be honest. I can’t bring myself to pay £50 for a non-aged blended whisky, but by all accounts it’s nice, has similar casking but a little sweeter than the 12.

If you want intensity from a Hibiki Blended malt then you have to go for the 17 or 21 year old malts, which means money. For the 30 year old, sell your car price.

 

Hibiki 17 Blended Malt – 43 %vol

Was   £55 to £75,  Now £110 to £175

 

Hibiki 21 Blended Malt– 43% vol

Was £120 to £175,  Now £250 to £480

 

Hibiki 30 Blended Malt – 43% vol

Was £900 to £1200,  Now £ 2000 to £3200

In retail the 21 and 30 year old malts have all but disappeared, you might get a Duty Free limited release in Japanese airports. If you’re determined to get your hands on some Japanese Gold, then auction is the only sensible route. For drinking, the 17 is the one. Entry level collecting, go for the 21. Again, all these are still relatively affordable at auction on-line, even the 30 year old…for now. If you want a laugh/cry, check out the auction price of really old and rare Yamazaki on-line.

 

So on the whole Suntory Japanese malts are good but ‘a little’ overvalued  at retail price due to limited stocks. They are still climbing in price for the moment, and well worth a small investment if you can get them cheap enough. Stick to single age signature and limited releases. I’m hoping the arse doesn’t fall out of the market before I sell the couple I’ve stashed under me bed. I’ll keep you posted.

 

Whiskyjo…it’s all about the finish.