Japanese Whisky Page by Takeshi Mogi

Welcome

Welcome to Japanese Whisky Web. This page is my personal web site designed for Japanese whisky lovers and those who are interested in Japanese whisky. This web was opened in 1998 but the contents were getting out of date and renewed at the beginning of 2007. I am going to revise and extend the web. I hope you will enjoy.

Takeshi Mogi

Introductions

Whisky is a popular drink also in Japan as well as in many countries. Especially Scotch whisky is quite popular and it was natural that some companies tried to produce whisky with a similar method and process to Scotch whisky. Most of present Japanese whisky are the results of the trials and efforts. However each Japanese whisky has each different character and this is something like that the same batch casks in the same warehouse of the same distillery don't have the same taste or each distillery in Scotland is producing each different malt. Some Japanese whiskies are very different from Scotch and Bourbon whiskies. The quality have been getting better and it is possible to say that Japanese whisky is not an imitation of Scotch whisky but it has a Japanese style.

History

A Japanese sweetend wine maker Settsu Shusei Seizou sent Masataka Taketuru to Scotland to study the technology of producing whisky at 1917.

In 1920 Taketsuru returned to Japan after two years' study in some Scottish distilleries but Settsu Shusei Seizou could found no distillery because of a dipression. Kotobukiya (now Suntory Co.) needed him who just leaved the company. Taketsuru recommended to build a distillery in Hokkaido as the natural features similor to Scotland but the owner Shinjiro Torii decided to build his distillery in Yamazaki, Kyoto as the place is near to the market. This is the Japanese first malt whisky distillery. Taketsuru was the distillery manager in Yamazaki distillery for ten years and leaved for Hokkaido to build his own distillery in Hokkaido. Nikka Whisky Co. is his company.

Most of the malt whisky produced in Japan is supplied for blending but no whisky is exchanged to any other company. So each distillery is producing some whiskies of different styles. The raw materials are mostly imported.

Bibliography

John Lamond and Robin Tucek / The Malt Whisky File 3rd Edition / 2001 Canongate / 1-84195-072-6
Jim Murray / Jim murray's Whisky Bible 2006 / 2006 Carlton / 1-84442-147-3