Following on from the publishing of a high resolution draft of the barley genome in the journal Nature the James Hutton Institute is hoping to establish a £23m international centre for the study of barley, with the hopes of creating hardier, more resistant strains for use the production of biofuel, beer and of course whisky. Barley is already the second most important crop in UK agriculture, grown across almost 50% of Scotland’s arable land and underpinning the Scotch whisky industry £5 billion per year contribution to the UK economy, so this development is likely to receive considerable support.
A Big Year For Barley
Work at the James Hutton institute is bringing hope for completely Rhynchosporium resistant strains, the infection is estimated to account for some 10% of yield losses at a cost of around £7.2m per annum even when fungicide are being used. PhD student Louise Gamble is hoping that by studying the rhynchosporium genes activated at the early stages of barley infection in varying strains it will be possible to “find novel sources of resistance to recognise proteins in the pathogen that are at low risk of being modified” if successful this would greatly reduce dependencies on fungicide.
Barley as a Biofuel
The significance of barley to the UK or even European economy may also be about to receive a boost in the form of a new biofuel proof of concept. Scottish start up Celtic Renewables has produced its first drops of biofuel using draff (sugar-rich barley kernals, and pot ale both waste by-products of the whisky industry into biobutanol. Company founder and Edinburgh Napier University Professor Martin Tangney explains that ABE (Acetone-Butanol-Ethanol) “is produced from a fermentation process using bacteria and starchy feedstocks in an anaerobic (or oxygen-free) environment”. The process being something akin to beer making is already used in the America’s turning corn and sugarcane into biofuel, however Celtic Renewables are aiming to take utilise some of the 2.8 million tonnes of waste produced annually by whisky and beer production and create Acetone, Butanol and Ethanol from the liquid, the remaining solid waste would then be treated and turned into valuable animal feed.
Whisky: The Juice of the Barley
Although the introduction of new strains of barley are unlikely to be universally and instantly accepted by whisky enthusiasts improved yields are certain to be adopted by suppliers, and will with a lower price point make their way into the production process in due course. While there may well be groaning its worth remembering that Golden Promise barley was only developed in 1965 and current strains such as Concerto are incredibly recent, the general consensus is that the grain varietals make little to no impact on the final flavour.
A Bright Future For Barley
Now the James Hutton with a new centre on the horizon complete with its own micro-breweries and micro-distilleries even more robust, higher yield strains of barley may well be on their way. Professor Robbie Waugh of the Hutton institute points out that the domestication of barley some 10,000 years ago likely “left behind lots of good versions of genes that weren’t in the domesticated gene pool, and these are some of the genes that we might need to grow barley in the environments that we’re going to face in the future”. By most accounts Barley yields have increased at a rate of about 1% every year for the last 25 years, if current developments continue, Rhynchosporium commune resistant strains can be developed and Celtic Renewables can achieve their aims barley looks to have a very bright future in Scotland.
The role played by the aroma of a whisky is as misunderstood as its colour. While a large number of whisky drinkers overlook the olfactory properties of whisky, although understandable this is a huge mistake. Tasting without being aware of the finer notes of your whisky directly influences your enjoyment. I won’t go as far as Heather Greene (author of the fantastic Whiskey Distilled) who claims that all whiskies essentially taste the same, but as she points out drinking even the finest malt with your nose pinched shut reduces your ability to enjoy the complexities you’re paying for.
Why Does Whisky Smell
For those (like myself) who never studied chemistry the idea that a whisky smells of berries, oak or pear might seem confusing, it’s really not. I’ve even been asked if these whiskies are infused in the way that Vodka is, they’re not. The smell of berries, pear, oak or any other fragrance you can think to name comes from molecular compounds that being the resultant combination of two or more separate elements from the periodic table combine at the atomic level. These occur naturally in fruit and plants, they can be synthesised or they can be created as by-products of the distillation and maturation process. As often as not these are crafted by the master blender who pulls together a number of expressions to create their lines, which are then distributed either as age statement or as no age statement whiskies.
What’s in a Rose
When you smell a Rose it fragrance may contain over 300 chemical compounds, yet only 4 compounds amounts for an incredible 90% of the smell of rose oil. A Whisky can contain over 400 chemical compounds, some will give of floral notes, others fruit, some are more musky, spiced or woody. When you enjoy the nose of a whisky you’re uncovering the subtleties of its own bouquet.
Whisky & Anosmia
Not everyone will agree what a wine, or whisky smells of, this is one of the most common reasons to dismiss the importance of the nose. However this is simple enough to explain, everyone has a specific anosmia (the inability to perceive a specific odour) but what’s more our olfactory ability varies based on temperature, what we’ve just eaten, whether or not we, smoke, have a cold coming on and our gender (women are believed to be more sensitive to olfactory clues). Despite this the way you taste the whisky is very dependent upon your sense of smell, which is why Master Blenders use a Sherry ‘sniffer’ Copita and why the Glencairn has become so popular.
How to Smell your Whisky
It might sound obvious but because of the strength of your whisky (minimum 40% ABV) you can’t simply sniff in the way you would a glass of wine without overwhelming your olfactory nerve, after which its sensitivity will be dialled down for the next half hour. Take it easy, go slow and have some fun with it:
Swirl your whisky to aerate releasing the aromas
Lean towards the glass and sniff, slowly move closer until you are able to pick out individual scents
Let your mind take you back, olfactory senses are great nostalgia trippers. Describe it as it strikes you, don’t worry about the language
Optional: Add Water to your Whisky
Once you’ve decided to take the dive into your whisky, and completed your tasting, feel free to try the same again with a little water. There is no consensus over how much water, if any should be added to your dram for some this is deemed a crime, as the oft repeated adage goes “There are two things a Highlander likes naked, and one of them is malt whisky”, jokes about whether the other is a great source of wool aside, this viewpoint is at best old fashioned at worst it’s just plain bad science*.
Adding water has a profound impact on the nose of a whisky, put simply the (exothermic) reaction which occurs when whisky and water combine releases energy. This sudden release of energy from a few drops of water can actually increase the temperature by as much as 2°C. Rachel Barrie the Master Distiller behind Bowmore, Auchentoshan and Glen Garioc points out that “By reducing the higher alcohol strength, it enables our sense of smell to work better,” said Barrie, “and the aroma paradoxically seems to increase in intensity when first adding water.” John Glaser has gone on record as saying that many master blenders dilute to as low as 20% when crafting their own expressions.
*I’ve personally never been a huge fan of diluting my whisky, but there are always exceptions, and it works very well for cask strength expressions. So long as you’re limiting yourself to water that’s entirely your own business!
Disturbing rumours are surfacing regarding the future of the Glenlivet 12 in key markets, although as yet not clear reports from Whisky.de suggest that this flagship is to be replaced by the newly launched Founder’s Reserve in some countries, in others these are likely to be sold side by side.
This from Words of Whisky reports
“Founder’s Reserve will roll out in countries where whisky knowledge is strong, consumers are becoming more familiar with new concepts, are by far the most developed in their tastes and have the greater thirst for new products.
Whilst not all countries will stock both and some countries may stock one or the other, this is about us having an opportunity to explore The Glenlivet with a new expression that focuses on a key element of the brand and its heritage. We feel that the time is right to bring something brand new to our consumers.”
Off the back of an incredibly profitable period (in September 2014 the distillery reported achieving one million case sales per annum) which resulted in the decision to triple capacity at the Moray distillery this comes as a not entirely surprising but disappointing blow to the Age statement movement,
What is an Age Statement
The age statement of a whisky is an often misunderstood measurement but one that consumers still put a lot of faith in. Simply put the age statement of a whisky tells you the age of the youngest whisky in the mix, take an 18 year old whisky, mix it with a 5 and he age statement would read 5 years, release a no age statement and the consumer never needs to know.
That is not to suggest that distilleries are likely to be so reckless with their brands, or even that a no age statement whisky is of inferior quality, Japanese whiskies such as the Yamazake Distiller’s Reserve are a superb example to the contrary. Nonetheless a lot of whisky drinkers would baulk at the idea of drinking a 3 year old whisky, this may be dismissed as snobbery, and it would certainly lead to stronger whiskies as the “Angels Share”, the alcohol volume lost during maturation is likely to be far lower, nonetheless age statements are often useful for giving an indication of the quality on offer.
Why Introduce No Age Statements
In a word profit, a shortage of older expressions within the distillery means reduced output as the whisky waits to reach an arguably arbitrary age before bottling, this means increased storage costs and lower alcohol by volume. John Campbell Laphroaig’s master distiller reports that the distillery’s Quarter Cask is now “the fastest-growing brand in our portfolio, making up 25% of our sales”, nor are they alone. The Macallan, despite a strong age focus on international markets is pushing its colour coded 1824 series, and while age statements are unlikely to disappear entirely this shift is far from slight.
Founders Reserve Vs. Glenlivet 12
As the Founders Reserve expression will not arrive on market until March 2015 no statement on its quality is possible, the no age statement may be well received however a positive reception and increased capacity will likely mean more younger whiskies entering the market. This represents a fundamental shift from 2010 when Pernod Ricard launched The Age Matters campaign, following the findings of a study compiled for their Chivas Brothers (Whisky & Gin) arm. At the time Christian Porta, CEO and chairman declared that:
“The revelation that so many existing whisky drinkers do not understand that the age statement refers to (the) youngest age of the whisky shows that there is an opportunity for us to inform them,”
No Age Statements are Coming
This later morphed into “Great Things Take Time” alas while this seeming U-turn by Chivas Brothers is disheartening it is not totally surprising, with aged stockpiles running low whisky producers are likely to push younger No age statements onto the market. While this is unfortunate for consumers who are used to ordering based on age it does not necessarily mean the end of good whisky. Glenlivet, Laphroig, Macallen and others will only remain household names so long as their expressions deliver the goods.
One of the most surprising things about Whisky brands is how few seem to truly embrace search marketing, while a search for Whisky News of late will bring up articles about David Beckham Haig Whisky this is down to the controversy over the risk of his celebrity encouraging underage drinking rather than the quality of the advert itself. While a number of brands seem to be leveraging social media well their websites are often lacklustre, poorly mobile optimised experiences of the few brands who make waves the best tend to be blends not malts.
Offline Brilliance, Online Disasters
Of the most visible supermarket whiskies, even the best make only a mediocre showing online, now while I have a personal pet peeve about the use of age verification for these sites, especially since it’s not legally mandated*, providing a brand flagship for those who seek you out makes sense. That might be your brand social media profile, it might be Wikipedia, really though your website should tell your story and be accessible else you’re leaving your brand at the mercy of the web.
*While these sites might be accessed by those outside the UK/USA this is not justification for treating all users with the same problematic UX, this content can be served based upon IP address.
Bells
Bells Whisky have produced what I can only describe as one of my favourite adverts of all time, an emotional, inspiring and thoroughly brilliant piece of advertising, albeit for the South African market.
A significant step up from their previous, albeit memorable Beverly Hills cop theme tune played on tumblers. The brand website however is another matter, it’s poorly optimised, especially for mobile to the point that I can’t navigate it, even in landscape. For those lucky few who can the site is slow to load, lacking in content and in truth hardly worth visiting which is likely why it’s outranked by supermarkets and unrelated sites for even its brand terms. Admittedly the site is non-transactional so the supermarket rankings make sense but the same pattern holds true for social media if there is an official Facebook page it’s not easy to find and the South African arm is the only one to see on twitter.
Whyte and Mackay
Whyte and Mackay are/were an interesting brand if only for their rather genius use of the sites robots.txt file during the brands Whisky Hunt. For those not in the know digitally speaking the robots.txt file is a signpost to visiting search engines advising what should or should not be accessed for example you probably don’t want your sites admin panel to surface in search, and landing on the sites search results from a search engine is a poor user experience. Unfortunately in line with Bells the site experience is generally low, and alas either due to either an unresolved technical mishap or just throwing in the towel the Whyte and Mackay blog seems to have been abandoned.
Grants
Grants unfortunately do nothing to break this trend with their website, their social media presence is another animal entirely. While the brands new #IOU video can’t touch the beautiful mastery of Bells “The Reader” the campaign has brought surprising levels of engagement on twitter for what is essentially a supermarket whisky brand and although Facebook comments and shares of their posts are minimal they are far from absent, their likes regularly break the 5k mark.
Malt Whiskies and Marketing
Having covered the blends you’re probably wondering about the Malts, well unfortunately many of the websites are in a similar state though in at least some cases (such as Glenmorangie) the sites are at least responsive and the Macallan site created by Equator is beyond a few speed issues practically perfect, either way there are definitely a few interesting brands. Rather than going through an exhaustive list I’ll limit myself to covering my favourite campaigns:
Jura
It’s no secret I’m fond of Jura and honestly this campaign was truly genius, it’s just a shame the brand & Holler made relatively little effort on social media.
Following the bizarre misplacing of the Isle of Jura in Google maps the team posted the above rather tongue in cheek competition, and to their credit they managed to get some not unimpressive coverage though the evidence suggests the response rates were fairly low. Still that’s not bad for the low low price of a case of Diurachs’ Own.
Glenlivet
The limited edition Glenlivet Guardians’ Chapter is perhaps one of the most unique whiskies you’ll ever come across as it was selected by the distilleries aficionados rather than the distillery itself. Three expressions were sent out to whisky drinkers in over 20 countries including America, Australia and China for review and selection. The release is still available to buy, and would certainly make my wishlist!
Glenmorangie
In a not dissimilar way Glenmorangie’ s Tahgta (from the Gaelic for “Chosen”) bottle design, name and marketing campaign were co-ordinated through a Caskmasters subdomain moodboard. Unfortunately the brand seem to have removed their caskmasters moodboard and any reference to it from the site!
Scottish Malt Whisky Society
Although not a distillery an honourable mention must go out to the Scottish Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) for their rather inspired an ever changing sensory adventure campaign which included a tweet tasting event.
Whisky and the Web
Although Whisky brands have not historically embraced the web its prevalence in every walk of life has fundamentally changed how we interact with brands. From older consumers such as my father who, now in his seventies, uses his tablet to price check his favourite tipples, to younger enthusiasts and uncertain gifters the brands who make headway over the coming decade will almost certainly be those who establish awareness beyond their loyal core. The Scottish whisky industry does itself no favours by being conservative in its campaigns or slow to embrace the internet. Worse still it deprives many young enthusiasts the chance to encounter new expressions and come to know more about the Uisce Beatha.
When Jim Murray awarded Sainsbury’s 8 year old Dún Léire Irish Single Malt of the Year in 2011 there were more than a few surprised faces both in Ireland and elsewhere. The Dún Léire was in all but name an 8 year old Tyrconnell produced by Cooley Distillery (located on the Cooley Peninsula in County Louth) given an updated supermarket label. Described by Jim Murray as “Cooley at its best” and “brilliant and relatively undiscovered between 7 and 9 years”.
In case that’s not enough to win you round consider Lidl own brand Maxwell Single Malt Scotch whisky which is now all but impossible to find. Unfortunately while those particular bottles has been discontinued and your chances of trying it are fairly limited, they do raise the question if a supermarket branded whisky can mask “a very astute and masterful piece of whiskey buying” should you really turn your nose up at an own-brand label?
As Martin Isark founder of Can I Eat It explains “Often as not you’ll be drinking a dram that’s really a brand”, unfortunately supermarkets cannot name the distillery which produced the malt on the label. Consequently you are playing something of a lottery, you might be walking away with a superb bottle at a fraction of the cost, at worst you’ve splashed out heavily for a cocktail whisky.
There’s a common, albeit understandable misconception that Bourbon is in some way inferior to Scotch Whisky. The truth is that Bourbons are by many accounts some of the finest Whiskies in the world, in fact Jim Murray’s 2015 Whisky Bible places the 18 year old Sazerac Rye and the William Larue Weller Bourbon as the second and third finest Whiskies in the world respectively.
Whisky Vs Whiskey
The distinction in spelling traditionally differentiates Scottish from Irish Whiskies with the latter adding an e. Despite claims of quality distinction by some their seems to be little evidence of this distinction, more likely this is a linguistic divide of the same kind as uisge beatha and uisce beatha. Around the world Ireland and America are the only countries to add an E, you can learn more about the distinction between naming conventions on our Whiskey Vs. Whisky guide.
Bourbon and the Law
The snobbish attitude towards Bourbon is in part due to popularity of mash Whiskey such as Jack Daniels and Jim Beam, a mindset akin to judging Scottish Whisky on the basis of Grants. However the perception of Bourbon as an inferior product does, arguably have some basis in fact, as can be seen from the decision to legislate its production but that’s far from current. To prevent the adulteration of American Whisky (be it rye, corn or barley) the Bottle in Bond Act of 1897 requires that:
The Whiskey must be the product of a single distillation season at a single distillery
It must be bottled at 50% ABV (100 proof)
The bottled label must specify its distillery of origin (and if different where it was bottled)
In addition to the 1897 Bond act Bourbon must also:
Produced in the United States
Produced using at least 51% corn
Aged in unused, charred oak barrels
Distilled at less that 80% ABV (160 proof)
Bottled at least 40% ABV (180 proof)
Unlike Scotch which must be aged a minimum of three years there is no minimum ageing period for a spirit to be labelled bourbon (though the term Straight Bourbon signifies it is at least two years). Nonetheless these strict requirements do fundamentally change Bourbon making from other types of whisky making it considerably more uniform. While most whiskies, even those produced virtually next door, vary widely bourbon is typically amber to dark and is comparatively very sweet.
Using a minimum of 51% (though this is often as high as 70%) corn in the mash makes for a very sweet whiskey, in contrast Single Malt, by far the most common type of Scotch, is made with 100% barley. In Scotland and elsewhere around the world whisky, or whiskey in the case of Ireland, is generally aged in barrels which have previously been used for the production of wines and other spirits, this results in a more varied and complex range of flavour palettes as the barrels impart their own varied notes.
American Whiskey & Bourbon
The perception of American bourbon as somehow inferior is snobbery and an arbitrary limit, there’s nothing wrong with preferring Scotch of course, I generally find bourbon a little sweet and favour peaty whiskies but that’s a personal preference. American whiskey is fundamentally different, both in ingredients and legislation but that hardly stands against it, a few years ago the idea of a Japanese whisky taking the coveted position of best whisky in the world would have seemed implausible, an the Americans have already taken position two and three.
In the warm afterglow of Burns night it’s perhaps time to once again take a look at the Scotch Whisky and its role and treatment within the UK economy. Recent reports value its contribution at over 5bn placing it higher than steel, iron or computers and half the size of pharmaceuticals but the industry is groaning under taxes and suppliers are looking outwards rather than inwards for growth.
Scotch on the National Stage
While the Yamizake Sherry cask may currently hold the number one position, for many Whisky is still synonymous with Scotland and for good reason. With over 80 distilleries in operation and another 30 being planned or built, Scotland produces more per annum than any of the other Whisky producing countries, America follows in second place, while Japan with only 2 distilleries takes third. And while only a handful of Whisky producers such as Glenfiddich are still sat in family owned hands the industry, directly or indirectly employs some 40,300 people (92% of these are in Scotland).
In this context it’s hardly surprising that the Scottish Whisky Association (SWA) report on the Economic Impact of Scotch Whisky Production in the UK values the Spirits contribution to GDP at some £5bn a year, with a direct impact of £3.3bn and a further £1.8bn being spent on related costs such as transport, packaging and distribution. In spite of this contribution the Scottish whisky industry enjoys no special privileged place within the UK, in fact the reverse is true. Current taxation levels hurt local growth and leave businesses looking to exports for expansion. While the report correctly identifies the 1970s as the industries peak then and long before the troubles of taxation have long been the bane of Robert Burns, the Scots Makars, muse and “guid auld Scotch Drink!”
A Uniquely Scotch-ish Problem
Unlike craft beers, Gins, Rums and Vodkas which are sold comparatively quickly Whiskies, at least the kind that the world rejoices in drinking suffer a very significant financial handicap, in the same way that wines are aged, so too are Whiskies. For a Whisky to be called a Scotch it must spend a minimum of 3 years ageing, and reducing in alcohol by up to 2% per year a loss is known as the “Angels Share”. While 3 years ageing is perfectly respectable for a nice bottle of wine, a 3 year old Whisky is going to receive very little attention, on either the local or global stage. 12, 18, 21 and 25 are the numbers you’ll find in your average supermarket though this can climb far higher if you’re looking at a specialist retailer. The consequence is that the initial investment takes an incredibly long time to recoup, this has lead to a great many distilleries closing their doors and acts as a substantial barrier to smaller producers entering the market. That bottle on the shelf is never going to be cheap when compared to other spirits with such storage costs and alcohol loss, but right now 78% of the price of that bottle in your hand is tax.
The Devil Take the Taxman
In 1785 Burns pleaded for the Devil to take away “Thae curst horse-leeches o’ the’ Excise, Wha mak the whisky stells their prize”, whereas today the SWA would happily settle for an equal footing. The [Drop the Duty campaign] (http://www.droptheduty.co.uk/), spurned on by their 2014 success in abolishing the alcohol duty escalator, is now fighting for a drop of 2% in the 2015 budget. With the country’s economic woes this may sound counter intuitive, I’ll leave you to puzzle over the facts yourself as I’m personally dubious about statements such as “a 2% cut in duty would boost public finances by £1.5bn” but personally I’ll be supporting this campaign for one reason, Parity taxing Whisky at a higher rate than Vodka can only curb our enthusiasm for Whisky at home at a time when structural changes are hurting exports.
Whisky is prohibitively expensive for many already, but it is also a national treasure with a significant role to play in both the culture and the economy of Scotland, surely it is one we should cultivate.
A good whisky comes from Scotland. Especially if it’s a single malt ggoes the old adage. But this unwritten law wobbled and fell apart thanks to Japanese distillates. Once called exotics, they’re getting rid of more and more prizes at competitions and blind tastings – setting trends. Now the top position is endangered.
“For relaxing times – make it Suntory time!” This advertising slogan, which Bill Murray presents in a very quiet and professional manner in the much-acclaimed Hollywood film “Lost In Translation”, is a classic today – as is the film itself. Scarlett Johansson thus achieved an international breakthrough in 2003. The film is also considered the starting point for the worldwide triumph of Japanese whisky.”The film was the starting point for the interest in Japanese whisky in this country,” confirms Eugen Kasparek, whisky expert and “Master of Tasting” at whisky & Cigars. “However, the interest in Japanese distillates only became really big – almost explosive – when the whiskies from the Land of the Rising Sun won important Scottish competitions and blind tastings.” The fateful year is 2008. Nikka Yoichi, 20 years old, was named the “Best Single Malt whisky in the World” by the highly respected British “whisky Magazine”. More than 200 competitors leaves the Japanese behind. A national disgrace for the Scottish “motherland of whisky” .
Since then, Japanese whiskies have regularly priced, such as the Yamazaki, 12 years old, at the “San Francisco World Spirits” 2009 (Double Gold). Your marginal existence in the international spirits business is over. “Among connoisseurs, Japan is no longer an exotic whisky country,” emphasizes Kasparek. “Japanese whiskies are very important, not least because large Japanese companies have been shopping in the Scottish whisky landscape since the mid-1980s.”
Suntory and Nikka whiskies dominate the market
We are talking about this Suntory from “Lost in Translation” (owners of the brands Auchentoshan, Bowmore and Glen Garioch) and Nikka (Ben Nevis), which belong to the Asahi Brewery Group. These two companies are the largest whisky producers in Japan. For a few years, the otherwise otherwise known for his beer mixes Kirin Group in concert with the big ones.
In total, there are eight distilleries in Japan owned by five owners: Yamazaki (Suntory) located between Osaka and Kyoto on Honshu, Hakushu (Suntory) with the two distilleries Hakushu East and Hakushu West in Yamanashi Prefecture on Honshu Island, Yoichi (Nikka ) on Hokkaido Island, Miyagikyo (Nikka) near Sendai, Karuizawa (Kirin) in Nagano Prefecture, Fuji-Gotemba (Kirin) in Shizuoka Prefecture, and Chichibu (Venture whisky) in Saitama Prefecture and White Oak (Eigashima Shuzo) the island Honshu. whisky expert Kasparek, who has about 20 to 25 Japanese whiskies on whisky & Cigars, compares: “In Scotland, there are currently about 120 distilleries including the closed ones.”
The most famous Japanese brands are Yamazaki and Nikka. They knows not only the whisky connoisseur, but also the beginner. The history of Japanese whisky, on the other hand, is almost unknown – although whisky has been produced in Japan for almost 100 years. Japan is already experiencing its first contact with the “water of life” as early as the mid-19th century, when a US Fleet Commander sails to Japan to conclude a trade agreement. As a guest gift: a whole barrel and more than 100 gallons of whisky. In the First World War, the Japanese “retaliate” in a sense: When US President Woodrow Wilson sends troops to Siberia to secure Allied war equipment there, a convoy needs to pick up coal in the Japanese city of Hakodate. The sailors get free and move into the bars of the city. There they will be served a “Scotch whisky made in Japan”. After a few sips and minutes, the whole squad is drunk. The Japanese Lebenswasser brings it to whopping 86 percent by volume.
Two names, a rivalry
After the First World War, Japanese young Masataka Taketsuru went to Scotland in 1919 to learn the art of whisky-making. He marries a native and returns to his homeland in 1923 when Shinjiro Torii, the later Suntory founder, introduces him. The Yamazaki distillery is being built. Torii, businessman through and through, wants to build the distillery as close as possible to Kyoto. Taketsuru prefers a landscape not quite dissimilar to the Scottish landscape on the island of Hokkaido, in the north of Japan. Torii prevails. Some years later, Taketsuru leaves the factory.
He builds on Hokkaido the distillery Yoichi, named after the place in which it stands. While Toriis company becomes Suntory, goes back to Taketsuru Nikka, which was acquired by Asahi Breweries in the 1950s. Suntory and Nikka dominate Japan’s whisky business and are still not green. Healthy competition, where both companies have grown. “It has become clear that the Nikka distillates are based strongly on their Scottish models, while the distillates of Suntory such as Yamazaki are optimally adapted to consume them to Japanese food,” explains “Master of Tasting” Kasparek.
Many whisky peculiarities and a flaw
He makes several peculiarities of Japanese whisky: Some of the whiskies, for example, completely matured in barrels of Japanese oak. “These were previously sake barrels,” says Kasparek and continues. “Another special feature is the exorbitantly good quality of the sherry distillates, so the whiskies that have matured in sherry casks for several years.” Especially these whiskies are the “big winners in the game”, which means: Especially these are what the international prospect and connoisseur is asking for. “Another peculiarity is the typical Japanese elegance that is reflected in the country’s whiskies.”
However, despite all success, Japan’s whisky currently also has a flaw: Fukushima. “The environmental catastrophe is destroying Japanese distillates,” Kasparek points out. Some Japanese whiskies should not be introduced anymore. “These include distillates from the Miyagikyo distillery,” says Kasparek. Of course, the limited supply has an impact on prices: “Consumers need to dig deeper for Japanese whisky.”
The connoisseurs of Japanese whiskies, according to Kasparek, do not have to worry yet. On the one hand, there are official statements by the Japanese about their safety, even though they have to be careful. On the other hand, the European importers investigated the supplied distillates for radioactive substances such as iodine 131, cesium 134 and 137. “The measured values have always been in the norm,” says Kasparek. The real problem – also for the current success of Japanese whisky worldwide – is that no one can predict the development in the coming years: “The effects of the Fukushima disaster will be felt for a very long time.”
