Fukano Japanese Rice Whiskey

Fukano is a Japanese whiskey made from 100% malted rice. The Fukano Distillery, down south in Kumamoto, Japan, makes shochu, an unaged rice spirit. This stuff is essentially a high proof shochu that has been barrel aged. Los Angeles based whiskey distributor Chris Uhde found this whiskey and brought it to us (it hasn't even been released in Japan). The whiskey is distilled once in a pot still and aged in new oak then bottled at cask strength, though the abv is still rather low since it comes off the still at only about 45%.

There eight single casks of this whiskey that are going to various retailers, including  K&L and Flask Fine Wines in Studio City. The following review is from a sample of the K&L cask that Chris gave me.

Fukano Whisky, Cask #282, 40.7% abv ($80)

The nose is really bourbony with a hint of lemon. The palate follows suit. It's got light bourbon notes with just a touch of lemon then some grassy cereal notes and some light spice. The finish is similar to what you would find in a light er bourbon or maybe even a Canadian Whiskey.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this, but I was surprised how similar it is in character to a bourbon or Canadian Whiskey, especially given that it is 100% rice. It's definitely worth tasting, especially for folks who like a lighter spirit.

Dusty Thursday: For a Relaxing Time...

Not all dusties are bourbon or rye. I found this bottle of Suntory Reserve Blended Japanese Whisky on the shelf of a Hollywood liquor store. According to the label, it was blended and bottled at the Yamazaki Distillery.

After I made the clerk grab it out of the corner, he said, "this looks like the last one. We'll have to order more." Good luck with that.

Given that it lists proof only and has a tax stamp without any numbers, I'd guess it's mid to late 80s, probably right after tax stamps were discontinued.


Suntory Reserve Blended Whisky, 86.8 Proof (43.4% abv)

This opens with syrupy sweet malt notes on the nose, but there's real grain in there as well, almost like a malt/bourbon combination. The palate starts with a very light malty flavor, which grows in richness as it goes down, and ends with a perfume tinged finish; it's hot for its abv. This is a decent enough blend, very drinkable but not very complex. Due to the light, malty character, if tasting blind, I might have even guessed that it was...Irish Whiskey.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed our St. Patrick's Week Japanese Whisky series. Now go get your plastic green hat, and maybe pour some Hibiki into that coffee. Kampai!

Japan's Closed Distilleries: Hanyu and Karuizawa

Like the US and Scotland, Japan has suffered its share of closed distilleries, including some that are deeply missed. As with Brora, Port Ellen and Stitzel-Weller, the whiskies from these distilleries are both highly treasured and highly priced.

Hanyu

Hanyu shut down in 2000 but under the stewardship of Ichiro Akuto, scion of the distillery owning family, there has been a steady stream of Hanyu whisky released under the Ichiro's Malt label. I became a Hanyu convert a few years ago after sampling the 15 and 20 year old expressions and subsequently hunted down as much of the popular, single barrel playing card series as I could find. The best of these were among the best malts I've ever tasted (if you see the pictured 20 year old Jack of Diamonds, grab it!). The more recent releases, which tend to be younger, have left me less impressed. The flavor profiles very from massively sherried to rather straightforward and malty.

Due to its scarcity, it's unlikely that we will ever see any Hanyu whisky in the US, but in 2008, Ichiro started his own distillery, Chichibu, which is now bottling some of its very young whiskey, and he has also done some Chichibu/Hanyu vattings. Perhaps, eventually, we will get some Chichibu.


Karuizawa

Like Hanyu, the Karuizawa Distillery closed at the dawn of the twenty-first century. Also like Hanyu, even though the distillery is gone, new expressions continue to be bottled by those who own the old stock which, in this case, is the London based Number One Drinks Company. For this reason, it may be easier to find rare Karuizawas in Europe than in Japan.

The Number One Drinks vintage series of malts, which has gotten rave reviews in Europe, tend to be huge sherry monsters coveted by those who love their Glenfarclas and GlenDronach, but other expressions vary. The standard 17 year old for the Japanese market, for instance, is much lighter on the sherry, less bold and complex than some of the vintage malts but very drinkable nonetheless.

As with Hanyu, it's unlikely that we will see any Karuizawa in the US, but we can always dream. (UPDATE: Check the comments; it looks like at least one retailer is going to prove me wrong on this, and I've never been so happy to be wrong).

Nikka Whiskies: Coming Soon to the US

Along with Suntory, Nikka is the other Japanese whisky giant, and like Suntory, Nikka also has two Japanese malt distilleries and makes a number of blends. Nikka is owned by the Asahi beer company.

Nikka whiskies have not been previously available in the US, but the word is that they are currently going through the regulatory process to export to the US. The TTB label approval website show that Nikka has recently had labels approved for both its Yoichi 15 year old and 12 year old Taketsuru Pure Malt. So, with any luck, we will have a chance to buy those soon.


Distilleries

Nikka's Yoichi Distillery is located on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. Founded in 1934, Yoichi is Nikka's signature single malt. While less well known abroad, the Miyagikyo Distillery in northern Honshu is the same size as Yoichi but it makes both malt and grain whisky. Miyagikyo has not only made single malt but a popular series of single grain whiskeys labeled as Nikka Coffey Still (though these were originally produced from Nikka's now defunct grain distillery Nishinomiya). Miyagikyo is in the area that was affected by last year's earthquake and tsunami, but luckily escaped without injury, serious damage or ill effects from fallout, according the Christopher Bunting of Nonjatta.

In addition to the two Japanese distilleries, Nikka owns the Ben Nevis distillery in Scotland.


Blends

As with most of the world, blended whiskies are the most popular whiskies in Japan. At bars and clubs, they tend to be imbibed in mizuwari, with ice and lots of water (i.e. a highball, often with as much as 2:1 whisky to water ratio).

Nikka is well known for its blends and pure malts (vatted malts), and one of the whiskies which appears to be headed for our shores is an expression of their well regarded Taketsuru pure malt.

While I haven't tried any of the Taketsuru line, I recently compared two Nikka blends and found them both quite drinkable (taking them neat of course).

The 21 year old pure malt is a solid, lightly sherried number with malt notes throughout. It was fine but not overly exciting.

The blend I enjoyed the most was the 17 year old "The Blend of Nikka." The nose kicked off with a bourbon-like grainyness, then malt aromas emerged, and the two notes intertwined. It had a really nice nose that makes you see the value in blends with a mix of corn-syrupy and malt notes. I got something different each time I sniffed, from corn to oat to some maltiness and maybe even a bit of sherry and peat. Unlike the nose, the palate was pretty solidly malty and a bit on the light side like a traditional blend. There was some richness in the back, including some nice peat notes, but it seemed a bit diluted. Still, the 17 was a pleasant and easy drinker that I kept going back to.

So let's wish Nikka luck with our regulatory process and hope that we get some of their whisky soon.

Tomorrow: The Closed Distilleries

Suntory Whiskies: America's Only Choice for Japanese Whisky (at least for now)

Welcome to day two of our Japanese St. Patrick's Week special. Today, a brief profile of the Suntory company.

Suntory is the giant of Japanese Whisky and the only producer currently exporting to the United States. The Suntory company owns two malt whisky distilleries: Yamazaki and Hakushu and also makes a number of blends.


Yamazaki

For years, Yamazaki was the only Japanese Whisky available in the US. For that reason, to the extent most Americans are familiar with Japanese Whisky, they are familiar with Yamazaki and, more specifically, the two expressions which have been most widely sold here: Yamazaki 12 year old ($30-$40) and 18 year old ($90-$100).

Located near Kyoto on the main Japanese island of Honshu, the Yamazaki Distillery is the oldest whisky distillery in Japan. The 12 and 18 year olds are vattings of single malts aged in a number of different woods, including American oak, Spanish oak and Japanese Oak (Mizunara). In Japan, the distillery sells single malts made from just one of these types of wood, as well as sherry cask and other variations.

In addition to the 12 and 18 year old, Yamazaki briefly released its Japanese oak aged vintage 1984 whisky in the US a few years ago.

I've had all of the Yamazakis available in the US and am a fan of all three. They are good, malty whiskies that would likely please any lover of single malt Scotch, particularly those who enjoy more rugged Highlanders like Highland Park. What I'd really love to see, though, is some of the bottlings that are still reserved for Japan. I had a fabulous, well balanced 15 year old sherry cask Yamazaki that was heavily sherried but still retained a signifiant malt flavor. The Japanese oak whiskies are particularly popular and it would be nice to see another such release on our shores.


Hakushu

Also located on Honshu, Hakushu is Suntory's other distillery, founded in 1973. Hakushu creates a wide range of whiskies, included both peated and non-peated malts. Suntory recently released their first Hakushu in the US, the peated 12 year old ($55). I've had some Hakushus but nothing from their peated line, so I can't speak to that one. Overall, I've preferred the Yamazakis to non-peated Hakushus.


Hibiki

Suntory's last entry into the US market is the Hibiki 12 year old blend. A very drinkable blend, Hibiki would rank well among blended whiskies available in the US were it not for the price, which tends to be around $60 (though Hi-Time has it for considerably cheaper).

Hibiki is Suntory's top shelf blend, but they have a number of other labels that are limited to Japan. The grain whiskey is distilled at the Chita distillery, which has also done single grain expressions.


Aside from whisky, Suntory markets beer, rum and soda.

Tomorrow: Nikka Whisky

Say Konichiwa to St. Patrick's Week

It's St. Patrick's Day week, and you know what that means...a full week of blogging dedicated to Japanese Whisky. Why? Well, Japan makes some excellent whisky that is both under appreciated and under available in the US, I haven't written about Japanese Whisky in quite a while and, besides, I'm a contrarian.

What's that? You want to see a review of Redbreast Cask Strength? Well go take a look at every other damn whisky blog in the universe.

First some basics for those who might not be familiar with Japanese Whisky.

Japanese whisky is in the Scotch style. The industry was founded in the 1920s by a distiller who had trained in Scotland and it's kept that mold. The language of Japanese whisky is the same as that of Scotch with single malts, blends, single grains and vatted malts. In my experience, the quality of single malt Japanese whisky rivals that of single malt Scotch, with the best Japanese malts reaching the heights of the best Scotch malts (of course, as with anything, they aren't all great, and some are downright nasty).

There are only about a half dozen distilleries in Japan as well as a few closed distilleries that still have product. Very few of these whiskies are available in the United States, but I'm lucky to have a number of relatives who travel regularly to Japan so I'll report on some of what I've sampled in the past. Unlike the US, Europe gets a nice selection from Japan, which you can see from perusing sites like The Whisky Exchange and La Maison Du Whisky.

This week I'll be focus on the big two Japanese whisky companies (Suntory & Nikka), the closed distilleries and even a Japanese dusty for Dusty Thursday.

As always, the go-to on-line authority for Japanese Whisky is Chris Bunting's Nonjatta. If you see a fact about Japanese Whisky here, it undoubtedly came from Chris' site or one of his many excellent articles on the subject.

Happy St. Patrick's Week!

2011: The Year in Whiskey

Last year, I complained that it was a pretty ho hum year in the world of whiskey. Well, I'm happy to report that this year was anything but. So let's review 2011: The Year in Whiskey.

Buffalo Trace. Buffalo Trace was on fire this year. Their Single Oak Project is perhaps the most ambitious project ever undertaken by a distillery. On top of that, they released a new label, E.H. Taylor, with two expressions. As if that wasn't enough, they reinvigorated the A. Smith Bowman distillery with a new line of bourbons and ryes. Pretty amazing output from one distillery, though, with the exception of the Bowmans, much of BT's new whiskey this year was more innovative than tasty. Still, the level of output from Buffalo Trace this year was beyond impressive.

Rye Revolution. The rye expansion continues. There were new ryes everywhere in 2011. Bulleit and Willett brought out LDI ryes, Woodford introduced not one but two as part of their Master's Collection, and Beam announced it would come out with a Knob Creek Rye as well, though it may not be here until 2012. Add to that the Canadian straight ryes listed below, and it goes to show that the rye renaissance is far from over.

Finished American Whiskey. Long a staple of Scotch, wine finishing received some attention from American whiskey this year. The year started with the popular, port finished Angel's Envy and ended with a Cognac finished bourbon from the Parker's Heritage Collection. Given these high profile releases, I'd say we will see more finishing experiments in the future.

Pure Pot Still Power. When there is news from the sleepy world of Irish Whiskey, it usually comes from Cooley, but this year the Midleton Distillery woke us all up with three new pure pot still whiskeys: Midleton, Powers and a cask strength version of Redbreast. It's great to see Midleton playing to the whisky lovers and not just finding new ways to market Jameson.

New Canadians. Canada was also hopping with a 30 year old Alberta Premium, and while we won't get it here, there were a number of American bottlings of Canadian straight rye. Following the lead of last year's WhistlePig, we saw similar ten year old ryes coming from McLain & Kyne (Jefferson's) and the Sebastiani wine group (Masterson's- review coming in the new year). It seems that we're finally getting some good Canadians in the US, though more in the American, straight rye style.

Scotch. The world of blended/vatted Scotch got lots of coverage this year with the highly publicized release of Shackleton's whisky. Meanwhile on Islay, Bruichladdich gave us their first 10 year old from the new ownership, and Kilchoman released an all-Islay whisky which was probably their best to date.

Many of us in California (or within shipping distance) spent our spare time counting our money to figure out how many bottles of K&L's amazing new line of exclusive barrel Scotch we could afford. In one year, K&L gave us a whopping 17 privately bottled single barrels, including two single grains and four offerings from closed distilleries.

More Japanese. Lovers of Japanese single malts have literally been waiting years to get more Japanese Whisky in the US. This year we got the good news that whiskies from Nikka and Suntory's Hakushu distilleries are finally heading for our shores.

I could go on and on. Heck, even those stodgy stalwarts Johnnie Walker and Jack Daniel's came out with new expressions. Let's hope these trends continue and look forward to an exciting 2012!

Whiskey Wednesday: Usuikyou - The World's Worst Whisky?

We continue our series of the world's worst whiskies with a Japanese Single Malt. Now Japan has been making single malts in the Scotch style since the 1920s, and I have generally found their malts to be of excellent quality, rivaling those of Scotland, but that's not to say that there aren't a few bad apples in the barrel, and in this case, some totally rotten, maggot-filled apples.

Usuikyou is an independent bottling by the Tokuoka Company of malt from the little known Monde Syuzou distillery in Yamanasi, Japan. According to Nonjatta, the best on-line English language source on Japanese Whisky, Monde Syuzou is mostly produced for blends. As far as I can tell, the Usuikyou, a 25 year old, cask strength(64% abv) malt distilled in 1983, is the only single malt bottling from this distillery, though Nonjatta reports that they may be considering a distillery bottling of the single malt (if Usuikyou is at all representative of their style, I implore them not to do so!)

How to describe the aboslute horror of the vile liquid that is Usuikyou. The nose gives you metal, some sherry and old garbage left out in the sun. The flavor is distinctly that of burnt rubber, like when a semi slams on the breaks. The finish is bitter and metallic and lasts seemingly forever. Even after having another whisky, I could still taste this wretched spirit. It's just horrifying, cringe-worthy stuff. One of my fellow tasters at the Los Angeles Whiskey Society (who I gladly shared a sample with) asked, "Who was the demented person who bottled this stuff?" Who indeed?

Move over Loch Dhu, there's a new king of nasty in town.

Next week we continue our parade of bad whiskies with a look at a distillery that somehow puts out some of the greatest and some of the worst whiskies around.

Whiskey Wednesday: Whiskies to Wish For

It's a cold hard fact among American whiskey connoisseurs that some of the best stuff never reaches our shores. There is nothing more frustrating than reading a great review of a new malt only to find that it will never touch American soil. To taste these treasures we have to rely on our own travels or those of friends and relatives willing to save room in their suitcases for a few bottles.

Here then is a list (in no particular order) of some bottles I wish were available stateside. I've been able to try most of these, but some I've only heard tell of.

Green Spot Irish Whiskey. This moderately priced pure pot still whiskey (a whiskey made from a blend of malted and unmalted barley) is bottled by Mitchell & Son from whiskey made at the Midleton Distillery. It has a pure, malty taste, and I prefer it to Redbreast 12, the only pure pot still currently available in the US. It has a bit of a cult following and would make a great everyday Irish.

Nikka Yoichi. The category of Japanese Whisky is the most lacking of all whisky categories in the US. There are only four Japanese Whiskies available here, all from one company (Suntory) and three from one distillery (Yamazaki); the fourth is a blend. I could put nearly every Japanese single malt on this list, but I've tried to limit myself to just a few. Nikka Yoichi is a workhorse whisky from the Northern Japanese island of Hokkaido; slightly sherried, sometimes slightly smoky and delicious. I think of it as Highland Parkish, and like Highland Park in Scotland, Yoichi is the northern most whisky distillery in Japan. Given my limited exposure, I would probably pick the regular Nikka line over the two other most prominent unavailable Japanese lines: Karuizawa and Suntory Hakushu (elderly Karuizawas are legendary, but I can't afford them anyway).

Ardbeg's Peat Path to Maturity. The Ardbeg peat path to maturity is over now, but it was an interesting experiment that allowed consumers to monitor the aging of a single vintage of whisky over a ten year period. Ardbeg released four different ages of a whisky distilled in 1998 (shortly after the distillery was reopened following a brief closure) on its way to ten years old. The Ardbeg Very Young was released in 2004, followed by Still Young in 2006, the Almost There in 2007, and at ten years old, the Ardbeg Renaissance in 2008. Each bottling was at cask strength. I had a chance to sample all of these versions except Renaissance and it was fascinating to observe the changes in this very popular peated malt. I only wish more Americans would have had the opportunity to try it.

Ichiro's Malt. Ichiro's Malt whiskies come from the closed Hanyu distillery in Japan. They are the Japanese equivalent of Brora or Port Ellen, fantastic and increasingly rare whiskies. I've been lucky enough to try a number of Ichiro's expressions and the best of them are among the best malts I've had from anywhere. These are increasingly expensive, but I sure wish we had the opportunity to treasure them before they're gone for good.

Kilchoman. I'm hoping that the newest distillery on Islay has plans for market expansion. Kilchoman just released its first expression, a three year old (the minimum age allowed for Scotch), which is allegedly a lighter peated whisky.

Cougar Bourbon and Rye. Believe it or not, there are even American whiskeys that we can't get in our own country. Cougar Bourbon and rye whiskeys are made by the Foster's group (Australian for beer, yeah them) for export only. They are distilled at Lawrenceburg Distillery in Indiana, a somewhat mysterious distillery which doesn't release any whiskey under its own label. I've never tried Cougar but it's received very good reviews.

Alberta Premium. Discussions of the new wave of Canadian Whiskies tend to begin with Forty Creek, make brief reference to Glen Breton, and ultimately end with Alberta Premium. One of the most consistently highest rated Canadians, Alberta Premium comes in 5 and 25 year old expressions and is made entirely from rye by Alberta Distillers. Is it so much to ask that they send a few bottles south?


The good news is that we are getting much more whiskey than we used to, particularly Scotch. Diageo is sending us special bottlings from previously unavailable distilleries (albeit at high prices) such as Mortlach and Linkwood. As I recently reported, Inver House is sending us Balblair and anCnoc. And Ardbeg is finally sending us their much sought after committee bottlings. Hopefully, some of these others distilleries will follow suit.

What currently unavailable whiskey would you like to see in the US?

Whiskey Wednesday: Whiskey Gifts

There have been some great whiskeys released this year, for both the whiskey novice and expert. Unfortunately, many of the new releases are either extremely pricey, extremely hard to find or both. I've tried to offer some more reasonable choices here along with a few splurges.


American Whiskey

William Larue Weller. The annual fall release of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (consisting of George T. Stagg, Eagle Rare 17 year old and William Larue Weller Bourbons as well as Sazerac 18 year old and Thomas H. Handy rye whiskeys) is always a cause for celebration among Bourbon lovers. This year, the best reviewed of the bunch has been the Weller, a barrel strength, wheated Bourbon. My review will come later, but I can attest that this is a phenomenal whiskey, and many people who have tasted it have uttered the words "best ever." If you can still find it, it should be in the $90 range.

Jefferson Presidential Select. I reviewed this 17 year old wheater last week. It will cost you in the neighborhood of $90, but for the real Bourbon geek in your life, a sip of potion from the defunct Stitzel-Weller distillery is worth its weight in gold.

Bernheim Wheat Whiskey. While Dr. Whisky disagrees, I very much enjoyed Bernheim Straight Wheat Whiskey, a novel whiskey which comes at a reasonable price, around $40.

Wild Turkey American Spirit. This limited release Bourbon is still on shelves but probably won't be available much longer. It goes for around $70 and gives you some solid Turkey heft and complexity.


Scotch

Bruichladdich Octomore. For the peat lover in your life, take a trip to Wine & Liquor Depot in Van Nuys, which still has a few bottles of Bruichladdich's über-smoky Octomore. It goes for around $120.

Ardbeg. A bit cheaper but still smokin' is the new Ardbeg Corryvreckan which runs $75 to $80. I haven't tried this one yet, but an Ardbeg new release is a pretty safe bet. Corryvreckan will be replacing Ardbeg's Airigh Nam Beist, which will be gradually disappearing from shelves, so if you're a fan of "the Beast," you may want to pick up a bottle to put away. It's still around and runs around the same price.


Japanese Whisky

Suntory Hibiki. The Suntory Company is smiling on the US and sending us two new releases, the vintage 1984 Yamazaki and the 12 year old version of their popular blend Hibiki. I tasted both of these whiskies at WhiskyLive and enjoyed them both. The more expensive and more remarkable 1984 isn't available yet and will probably be quite pricey. The Hibiki has started popping up; it is a very smooth and drinkable blend that would make the perfect gift for the Scotch drinker in your life. The going price on the Hibiki seems to be around $50.


For more budget-friendly whiskey gifts, see my list of great whiskey for under $20.

Happy holidays!

Whiskey Wednesday: WhiskyLive LA

Last Tuesday night, whiskey lovers from across the Southland converged on the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium for a four and a half hour tasting extravaganza. To the strains of the inevitable bagpipe and drum corps, we sampled Scotch, Bourbon, Irish and Japanese whiskies (as well as some beer and rum), took classes, and talked to knowledgeable brand representatives from all over the whiskey world.

WhiskyLive, sponsored by Whisky Magazine, is one of two major international tasting events (the other being Malt Advocate Magazine's WhiskyFest), and this was the first time that either festival was held in the LA area.

I sampled 28 whiskies through the evening and there were many highlights. The Suntory Company was there with samples of two whiskies that will be new to the US this fall: The Hibiki, a very pleasant blend, and the exceptional Yamazaki 1984, a vintage single malt distilled in Orwell's favorite year. The beauty of whiskey festivals is that you often get to taste whiskies that don't make it to market, and Suntory had a large collection of these, including the component whiskies that go into its Hibiki blend and whiskies aged in different types of barrels that go into its Yamazaki single malt. The brand representative also told me that there are "discussions" about bringing Suntory's other malt, Hakushu, to the US.



I attended two of the five "master classes" that were offered. Maker's Mark, like Suntory, offered versions of their whisky which are not available to the public, including the unaged, new make spirit, a one year old version and a nine year old version, which they referred to as "overaged." The point of the lesson was supposed to be that by ageing Maker's for five to seven years, they arrive at the perfect point of maturation. Frankly, I preferred the "overaged" version. (I'll finally do a Maker's post sometime this fall).

Highland Park's master class allowed me to taste most of the line of one of my favorite single malts side by side: the 10, 15, 18 and 25 year olds as well as the luscious 30 year old. The Highland Park program was more stand up comedy routine than traditional whiskey education, and brand ambassador Martin Daraz had us all in stitches. Even as much of a whiskey geek as I am, at hour three of the festival, I think people were happier to laugh a bit than to hear a long lecture about kilns and malting.

The Scott's Selection table was another highlight. The brand representative for this independent bottler was particularly knowledgeable (not all brand reps can hold their own with a crowd of intense whiskey geeks) and was pouring a fabulous variety of well-aged whiskies, including a 38 year old Longmorn and a 45 year old North of Scotland single grain whisky (an older version of the whisky I reviewed at 42 years).

Oh, and the picture at top of the page (i.e. the bottles, not the bagpipes) shows the table sponsored by the LA Scotch Club, who weren't pouring drinks but were showing off their impressive collection...membership apparently has its privileges.

While the event was well attended, it was not overly crowded and there was easy access to all of the libations. The vibe was friendly and casual, and the drinking was responsible.

We in LA owe many thanks to the good folks at Whisky Magazine for bringing WhiskyLive to Los Angeles, and here's hoping that they make it a regular event.

New Whiskey Minute: Japanese Whiskey

We have a new Whiskey Minute up on YouTube covering Japanese whiskey and featuring an intervew with YouTube celebrity Ken Tanaka.




And don't miss Ken's video of his trip to the Yamazaki distillery.

Whiskey Wednesday: How to Read a Whiskey Label, Part 1 - Distilleries

One of the many mysteries of whiskey is how to read the label. Over the next two weeks, I'll have a few tips on deciphering whiskey labels and the terms used on them.

The first step in deciphering whiskey labels is to figure out who makes your whiskey. This is actually harder than it sounds, depending on the type of whiskey you are drinking. Here is how it's done.


Single Malt Scotch

With Single Malt Scotch, it is easy to figure out who makes the drink. In most cases, the name on the bottle is the name of the distillery. Glenlivet Distillery makes Glenlivet, Laphroaig makes Laphroaig, etc. There are some exceptions, where distilleries use multiple brand names (Ledaig, for instance, is made by Tobermory distillery), but for the most part, what you see is what you get.


Bourbon and Rye

Bourbon and American rye whiskey are the exact opposite of Scotch in this regard. It is often impossible to tell who distilled the whiskey from looking at the bottle. Bourbon distilleries give their various expressions brand names (they are usually named after historic distillers) that often have no relation to the distillery name.

There are only nine Kentucky Bourbon distilleries in the US (many of which make rye as well). Some of them have a brand that goes by the distillery name (Jim Beam, Wild Turkey, Maker's Mark) but others do not, and most of them have numerous brands that go by other names. For instance, Evan Williams, Elijah Craig and Rittenhouse Rye are made by Heaven Hill; George T. Stagg, Sazerac Rye and Blanton's are among the offerings of Buffalo Trace; Knob Creek, Baker's and Old Granddad are Jim Beam; and Bulleit Bourbon is made by Four Roses.

Sometimes, this sort of labeling appears purposefully misleading. There is often no indication on the bottle or even the Bourbon's website that shows the consumer where it is distilled. This can make the world of Bourbon very confusing. It looks like there are hundreds of distilleries, when there are, in reality, very few.

In addition, if you see a brand you've never seen before, you can't be sure if it is a new label from an existing distillery or an independent bottling company that has bought and bottled whiskey from one of the distilleries. (Unlike Scotch bottlers, independent Bourbon bottlers almost never reveal the name of the distillery their whiskey comes from, which further adds to the confusion).

Interestingly, the production of Bourbon is, in some ways, much stricter than that of Scotch. Unlike Scotch, for instance, Bourbon cannot use artificial coloring and can only be aged in new barrels. The labeling, however, is another story.

In my view, the distillery should always be listed on the label and bottlers should be required to reveal where their Bourbon comes from. This would help demystify the Bourbon world to consumers and keep everyone honest.


Japanese Whiskey

Japanese whiskey is the most forthright in its labels. Typically, Japanese whiskey includes both the distillery name and the company that owns the distillery. For instance, Suntory Yamazaki whiskey is made at the Yamazaki distillery, which is owned by the Suntory Corporation. The same goes for Nikka Yoichi. This is one of the only examples I know of where the actual corporate owner has their name on the label as part of the whiskey name. If this were used in Scotland, you would have Diageo Lagavulin or Edrington Macallan.

Who makes your whiskey, of course, is a separate question from who owns it, and like most commodities on the global market, whiskey distilleries are being absorbed into the hands of a small number of international corporations, but that is a discussion we will take up on another day.


Irish Whiskey

Irish whiskey is similar to American whiskey in that you cannot necessarily tell the distiller from the name on the label. However, there are only three working distillers in Ireland (Bushmills, Midleton and Cooley) so you know that your whiskey comes from one of those distilleries.

Next Wednesday: A Guide to Label Terms

Whiskey Wednesday: Ichiro's Malt

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, thanks to a friend who travels regularly to Japan, I have been able to sample a number of Japanese whiskies that are not available in the US.

Other than the Suntory Yamazakis that are available in the States, two of the most common whiskies in Japan are Nikka Yoichi and Suntory Hakushu. I tried the 12 year old Hakushu and a Yoichi without an age statement. The Yoichi was good with a similar flavor profile to the Yamazakis (malty, a bit smoky) but was a bit less smooth.

I didn't care as much for the Hakushu which was a lighter style whiskey, similar to a Glenlivet or other typical Speysider...just not my cup of tea.

Most recently, my pal was able to snag me a couple of Ichiro's Malts, which he found difficult to acquire even in Japan. Ichiro's Malts, according to the label, come from the Hanyu distillery in the town of Hanyu on the Tone River. The distillery was closed in 2000 and dismantled in 2004, but the founder's grandson is apparently trying to start it back up.

These whiskies were on par with the best of Scotland. The 15 year old was bold and smoky with subtle fruity notes. The 20 year old was extremely complex and well balanced. There was light smoke, fruit and just a lot going on flavor-wise. It's an enchanting and intriguing whiskey, one of those that you look forward to tasting again and again because, like rereading a Tolstoy novel, each time you do, you find something new and interesting.

If you're ever lucky enough to get to Japan, get some Ichiro's Malt.

Whiskey Wednesday: Suntory Yamazaki

As I explained last week, the only Japanese Whiskies I've seen for sale in the US are two expressions of Suntory Yamazaki. Suntory's Yamazaki (Suntory is the parent company, Yamazaki is the distillery) gained some fame in the US as the whiskey advertised by Bill Murry in the popular film Lost in Translation.

I have long enjoyed the 12 year old Yamazaki, which I find to be a good middle of the road, sippin' whiskey. It has a nice malty flavor but has some meat to it as well, so it's not as light as, say, a typical Speysider, but more in the vein of a further northern Highlander, to put it in Scotch terms.

I recently tried, for the first time, the 18 year old Yamazaki and really enjoyed it. It has a nice malt flavor and some understated smoke. If I were to compare it to a Scotch, I would say it is similar to Highland Park, one of my all time favorite whiskies. Too bad no other Yamazakis are available here as I have been really impressed with their output.

I hope the Japanese Whiskey industry will eventually start shipping more varieties to the US. They are making excellent stuff and I would love to have an opportunity to experience more of it.

Next week, I will describe a few of the most recent bottles brought to me from Japan.

Whiskey Wednesday: Japanese Whisky Part 1

If you are mostly a Scotch or Bourbon drinker, you might not know that there are some great whiskies being made in Japan. Yes, Japan.

Japan has a whisky tradition going back to the 1920s. Japanese whisky is in the Scotch style, meaning it is generally made from 100% malted barley and has a taste similar to Scotch.

The only downside to Japanese whisky is that very little of it is available in the US. In fact, the only two bottles I've ever seen here are the 12 and 18 year olds from Suntory's Yamazaki distillery. Both are excellent and I will discuss them more next week, but they only scratch the surface of what's available.

Lucky for me, I have a friend who visits Japan often and supplies me with a fairly regular supply of Japanese whiskey (at least a few bottles per year), which I'll also discuss in the next couple of weeks.

If you are interested in Japanese whisky and especially if you have a contact in Japan, you must, must, must check out Nonjatta, the Japanese whiskey blog. There is simply no better English language source for information on Japanese whisky.

Next Wedensday: Suntory's Yamazaki