Despite the fact that the Japanese seem to know how to refine almost everything, no one would have thought that fine Whisky would be among them. Actually, most people tend to associate the distillation tradition with America and the British Isles. However, things have now taken a different direction since the transplanted art of Whisky distillation has hit great heights in Japan.  In this article, we examine three things you probably did not know about Japanese Whisky. Read on and find out more.

It’s Whisky, Not Whiskey

First things first, Japanese whisky is modeled in line with the scotch tradition. For those who may not know, this process involves the double distillation of malted and/or peated barley before it can finally be aged in wood barrels. This is quite fascinating considering their whisky tends to be fine when compared to the sweeter American ryes and bourbons. Any person who has had the chance to taste both these whiskies will agree the American ryes are drier, peatier and smokier. Worse, they only come as single malts and blends. This explains why there is no “e” in Japanese whisky.

Most Distilleries Use Scotch Ingredients

Quite a number of Japanese distilleries are known to import some of their ingredients from Scotland.  It is not surprising to come across a distillery that is relying on malted or even peated barley from the Isles.  As for the individuality in taste, it emanates from the minute details employed during the distillation process, the shape of the distilling stills together with the type of wood used in making aging barrels. In addition, some distilleries rely on imported bourbon barrels thus making sure they deliver the highest quality whisky.

Japanese Distillers Prioritize Refinement

Whereas most distilleries in different parts of the world focus on consistency, their Japanese counterparts have gone out of their way and value refinement more than anything else. As a matter of fact, it may prove quite hard for you to tell the difference between Japanese and Scotch whisky when asked to partake in a quality blind taste test. To give you a tip of the iceberg, the two diverge philosophically. Well, Scotch whisky will have the same old taste while Japanese whisky displays a lot of elegance.  You should not expect to determine the difference with only one taste since you are mostly likely to get it wrong.

The Bottom Line

If you are yet to taste Japanese whisky, then it is high time that you do so. Luckily, you can now buy Japanese whisky without necessarily having to move from your current location. All it takes is for you to place an order online and it will be delivered to your country of residence. Be sure to examine all the Japanese whisky brands before you can finally make the decision to settle one. Keep in mind you will be parting with your hard-earned money and hence you deserve to get the highest quality Japanese whisky.