[1]Most people don’t know much about Japanese alcohol beyond sake. But this Land of the Rising Sun has impressed with its commitment to producing high quality whiskies. It is not a new development, but the world appreciation for Japanese whisky is a growing since 2010.
Do you remember the 1990s commercial with Sean Connery for Suntory whisky? Who better than a Scotsman to endorse a Japanese version of a largely Scottish drink? Puritans may frown on a Japanese whisky, but one can rest assured that nothing that the Japanese make is half-measured.
This whisky is produced very much like Scotch: Pot-stilled from peated barley malt. When Suntory made its first whiskies in 1923, Scotland was certainly the model but the quest was for something distinctly Japanese.
Unlike other robust flavours in some whiskies, Japanese whiskies are meant to be fresh and supple to the palate to suit the delicate and complex nature of the local cuisine. They are lower in strength, with more finesse, subtlety and softness; and alluring, with fresh notes of forest and nuts and flowers and exotic flavours of fruit and spice.
Links:
[1] http://archive.asianage.com/suntor1jpg-025