![]() ‘The reality is that there is no clear definition of Japanese whisky which is applicable to all countries, and that the meaning of this word has therefore become quite wide and vague,’ said Emiko Kaji, whisky international business development manager at Nikka. True reflection: Is a snow-capped distillery what consumers envisage when they think of Japanese whisky? (Photo: Yoichi distillery) We have entered a looking-glass world where nothing is necessarily what it claims to be. In the US, however, shochu can be labeled as whisky as long as it is cereal based and matured in oak. Ironically, this would be illegal in Japan (and the EU) because shochu (like sake) uses koji to convert starches into sugars. In another loophole, aged rice and barley shochu distilled in stainless steel stills can be legally sold as ‘whisky’ in the US market. Although this spirit cannot be exported, producers can bottle 100% imported spirit and sell it globally as ‘Japanese’. The answer lies in Japan’s loose regulations governing whisky which permits blends of imported and domestic whisky to be sold as being ‘Japanese’, and allows ‘whisky’ to be used as a term for a spirit made with as little as 10% whisky blended with any neutral spirit. How can this be the case if stocks are limited, the industry doesn’t exchange fillings, and the new whisky distilleries which have appeared recently still have no mature stock? While the majors are managing the crisis and explaining why some of their most prestigious lines are being withdrawn (while also increasing capacity), new Japanese brands from previously unknown distillers and bottlers are appearing on the market. While this is good news for ‘brand Japan’ it remains a headache for firms trying to balance their low stocks with consumers’ high expectations. No-one could have foreseen the dramatic upturn in fortunes for the category. Japan’s domestic industry went into serious decline in the mid-80s, resulting in distillery closures and short-term working for all of its remaining sites. ![]() The reason? Not a downturn in Japanese whisky’s fortunes, but the consequences of a lack of stock of mature whisky. First there was the removal of age statements from Nikka’s range, then the recent withdrawal of Hakushu 12-year-old and Hibiki 17.
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