For those new to this type of whisky, here’s a little refresher. Like Scotch whisky can only be made in Scotland and bourbon can only be made in the US, to be called a Japanese whisky (you guessed it), the spirit must be made in Japan. Most similar in overall aroma and flavor to single malt Scotch whisky, Japanese whisky is most often made from malted barley. Like Scotch whisky, it’s often matured in oak barrels or casks that previously held sherry or bourbon.
There’s a reason why Japanese whisky so closely resembles Scotch whisky. Back in the 1800s, a man named Masataka Taketsuru visited Scotland to learn the techniques needed to distill whisky. He went on to help found the now-famous Yamazaki Distillery in 1924. In the century since, while it maintains some similarities with Scotch whisky, Japanese whisky has evolved into its own nuanced, complex, specific whisky style.
