In recent years the Japanese government began to impose a more restricted set of standards which must be met in order to label a bottle as a true Japanese whisky.

For many years different distilleries would distill a certain amount of whisky in Japan and then blend it with imported whisky from another part of the world. The practice was not outlawed, but it is now required to make a distinction between products made solely in Japan and products blended with imported products. This gave birth to a new category of whisky.

The main requirement at the moment for a world whisky in Japan is that it must be at least 50% Japanese Whisky. This flight does not have much history since it is a new category and the shining stars within it are fairly new as well. The descriptions will be short, sweet, and straight to the point.

TASTING NOTES

Whisky 1: Shibui Pure Malt 10 Year

• Cereal

• Coconut

• Tropical Fruits

Whisky 2: Ichiro Malt and Grain

• Peach

• Dried apricot

• Citrus Zest

• Toffee

• Black pepper

• Vanilla cream

• Tropical dried fruit

Whisky 3: Tenjaku

• Mixed Nuts

• Green Apple

• Smoke

Shibui Pure Malt 10 Year

• This particular whisky is an equal blend of traditional single grain scotch and Japanese single malt whisky made from the same grain - hence the name Shibui Single Grain.

• This whisky tends to satiate whisky drinkers with its mouth feel. 

• The Shibui Distillery does make 100% Japanese whiskies, but so far the shining star in its exportation game has been its line of world whiskies.

• This particular whisky is aged and matured in ex-bourbon casks, Oloroso Sherry casks, and Japanese Mizunura casks.

Ichiro Malt and Grain

• A lovely blended whisky from Japan, created by Ichiro Akuto, the Japanese whisky extraordinaire.

• This particular whisky is made with both malt and grain whisky from Japan as well as some whisky from other countries too - the label describes it as "a worldwide blended whisky" or, world whisky.

• The master distiller for this distillery samples and sources whatever whiskies he can to keep the most uniformity possible with every release.

Tenjaku

• Tenjaku is a blended whisky distilled in Japan’s Yamanashi prefecture in the city of Fuefuki, overlooking Mt. Fuji.

• Their claim to the perfect mellow whisky is their water source. The water used for this whisky has filtered down the mountain and into the ground. All of the water used in the distillation process is drawn from a source 250 feet below their ground level which yields some of the purest water you can find. With high quality “soft” water (Japanese, like Spanish, uses masculine and feminine terminology so in Japanese “soft water” actually translates to “feminine water”) which is water that is highly filtered naturally, comes a smoother and clean whisky.

• According to the producer, this whisky is made and blended with whiskies that are 100% distilled in Japan.

• The laws in pertinence to what deems a Japanese whisky (whisky 100% distilled in Japan) vs a product of Japan (whisky blended with non-Japanese whiskies or other variables not completely outlined in writing) are not yet completely defined.

• This whisky is considered a world whisky (product of Japan) and not a Japanese whisky because it is aged and mature in Kentucky bourbon barrels.

Source: Beverage Warehouse
Wine.com