Craving for some Japanese whiskies?

The history of whisky in Japan stretches back a century and does find its roots in Scotch, in particular. Its pioneer, a Japanese man by the name of Masataka Taketsuru, journeyed to  Scotland in 1918 where he got to gain expertise in whisky making.

After apprenticing at three distilleries, he returned to Japan as the Master Distiller for the Suntory Company, in 1923. He eventually began distillation in his own enterprise, which would come to be called Nikka, in 1936. And, today, Nikka and Suntory remain the two major names in the Japanese whisky industry.

But decades elapsed before the Japanese spirits wafted to their global popularity. In the United States, the demand for Japanese whiskies kicked off when certain prized bottles of them began to garner international acclaim.

In 2001, Whisky Magazine honoured Nikka’s 10-Year Yoichi as its ‘Best of the Best.’ Other awards ensued, and Japanese spirits continued to draw global attention... A day came when Suntory’s Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013 was named the world’s best whisky by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible in 2015!

Since then, the demand for golden drams from Japan has grown exponentially. The demand is so huge that most of the Japanese distilleries are not able to cope up with it. India too woke up to Japanese whiskies in the last decade or so and there is a clear demand for good Japanese whiskies in India, though there are not many brands of Japanese whiskies presently floating in the Indian market. And moreover, most Japanese whisky brands available in India are not affordable by average Indian whisky consumers.

Are Japanese whiskies better than Scotch? The answer lies in the fact that though Japanese distilleries were originally based on imported knowledge and skill straight from Scotland, they aren’t simply making Scotch in Japan. But there are many unique elements to the production of Japanese whiskies, and that is part of the reason why the distinctive drams from Japan have the whole whisky world so enamoured.

As compared to Scotch whiskies, a Japanese whisky is known for softer, more nuanced style of whisky, one that is floral and fragrant. Also, Japanese whisky puts a particular emphasis on blending, combining spirits from different barrels in order to create a complex whole. Japanese don’t consider whisky just as production, but as an art.

The Cover Story, through substantive inputs from India’s alcobev and F&B industry people, examines the growth of Japanese whiskies and food in India and what is their future outlook.

The high pricing of Japanese whiskies and their limited range is a serious problem affecting the market of these much loved beverages in India; however these factors do not dampen the spirit of their true lovers.

Most Japanese whiskies indeed fall in the super premium segment and are beyond the reach of the majority of whisky lovers in the country. A couple of Japanese whiskies are of low prices but they have not been able to woo the majority of whisky drinkers in India. Generally when a whisky drinker thinks about a Japanese whisky, brands like Yamazaki, Hibiki and Nikka come to his/her mind – sadly they all are super expensive.

We can say that Japanese whiskies’ appreciation in India is still a `work in progress’ and many things like aggressive education, greater number of appreciation sessions and better supply of Japanese whiskies (including of comparatively lower MRPs) should be done at an all India-level.

Overall, one can say that Japanese whiskies are pieces of art, carefully crafted, matured and bottled for the lovers who appreciate fine things in life. When paired with tempting Japanese food, their subtle nuances become more pronounced.

Are you one of us who crave for a fine Japanese whisky and delectable Japanese delicacies?