Is This The End Of The Japanese Whisky Era?

In 2014 Suntory’s Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask 13 won the title of "Best In The World" from the Whisky Bible, raising the global profile of the Japanese whiskies. Yamazaki 18 received the "Best Japanese Single Malt" from World Whiskies Awards in 2015. These two recognitions, along with a few others helped change the Japanese whisky demand forever and put it on the world whisky map. Since then, prices have soared and almost become unreachable. What was at one point $150 for an 18yo is now online after doing a quick search for $900+.

The question that has to be asked, is it worth the hype and cost? Somethings are a must-have for some people, regardless of what it costs them. Think of some rare and hard-to-find Cuban cigars, just because you can't get it, you want it more. However, is Yamazaki 18 worth paying $900 for? In my opinion, no. Don't get me wrong, it's a great whisky, but I refuse to pay that amount of money when there are so many great 18yo whiskies available for 1/4 that amount. Heck, you can get a Balvenie 21yo, well-regarded in the whiskey community, for under $250. Or how about a 30yo Glenfiddich for $750?

This has been the case for a few years now, and ever since the demand increased, it has brought out a lot more Japanese labeled brands to the United States and other parts of the world. Many new brands have come out at a more reasonable price to fill the demand for people who want to have Japanese whiskies at affordable prices. However, not known to the average whisky consumer, Japan's governing laws are very different from Scotland. To say they are very loose will not be an exaggeration. Even though the label says "Japanese Whisky," they are sometimes nothing of the sort. There are many so-called Japanese whiskies in the market now which are not truly Japanese whiskies. Whiskies from around the world are being sent to Japan and bottled in Japan as Japanese whiskies and then labeled and sold as such with pretty Japanese art on them.

Whisky has been made in Japan for almost 100 years, however, it only became super popular recently due to recognization of some of the major brands. The significant demand caused an influx of new Japanese labeled brands around the world. Due to this influx, the whisky community started to demand a better regulation to have stricter rules on its production and labeling to avoid Japanese branded whiskies taking advantage of the loose laws.

On February 16th, the Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association announced the steps that it is taking to tighten up what producers mean by the term Japanese whisky. As of April 1st, 2021, JSLMA (Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association) will start to move towards a new standard for labeling the whiskies. Also, there will be a commitment to not allude to being a Japanese whisky through naming, packaging, and advertising if it's not 100% Japanese whisky.

The rules must be followed by March 31st 2024, so don't run out just yet to a local liquor store on April 2nd and buy a Japanese whisky in confidence. The rule of thumb is that most big-name Japanese whiskey makers are true to their essence of being a Japanese whisky. The unknown brands are the ones that are trying to take advantage. Take a look at the comprehensive list below that shows you A-Z on the fake Japanese whisky brands. It's not to say that they are bad, but they are definitely not 100% genuine Japanese whisky.

Starting March 31st 2024 (as that is the deadline) this is what you can be confident about as per The Whisky Exchange:

Raw ingredients: Malted grain must always be used, but other cereal grains can also be included. Water: Water used in production must be extracted in Japan. Production location: Saccharification, fermentation and distillation must be carried out at a distillery in Japan. Distillation: Must be distilled to less than 95% ABV. Aging: Spirit must be aged in Japan in wooden casks of no more than 700 litres for a minimum of three years. Packaging: Bottling must take place in Japan. Strength: Bottled spirit must be at least 40% ABV. Colouring: Plain caramel colouring (E150) can be used.

These are welcome steps in providing fairness and transparency that I am looking forward to. However, I am not sure if this will help decrease or increase prices for the few quality Japanese whiskies out there like Yamazaki, Hibiki, etc. For the whisky enthusiast, at least it's a step in the right direction. To answer the question in the title, "Is this the end of the Japanese whisky era?", the answer is No, it's in fact the beginning on an era where whisky enthusiasts get to rejoice.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic, and if you have tried any so called "fake" Japanese whisky brands, please do let us know what your thoughts were by commenting below.

Cheers 🥃

Source: JSLMA

According to a published Info graph, below is a list of known "Fake Brands" A to Z:

963

AkashiCherry

Chiyoko

Continental

Midai

Fijugane

Fujisan

Fujisan

Fuyu

Golden Horse

Hachikuma

Hatozaki

Hayama

HekishuIsawa

Kamiki

Kensei

King Whisky

Kisoyama

Kojiki

Kokorodama

Koshu

Nirasaki

Kura

Kurayoshi

Lucky Cat

Makoto

Monsho

Peak Whisky

Rainbow Whisky

Rei

Royal Oak

Ryo

Sanryu

Sapporo Whisky

Sasakawa

Sensei

Shin

Shinju

Shinobu

Shinsei

Suijin

Sun Peace

Sundays

Sunshine Whisky

Taka

Tei

Teitessa

Tenjaku

Togouchi

Tottori

Yamato

Yamazakura

Source of all the brands listed above.

Disclaimer: This is a personal blog. All opinions expressed here are my own and not those of anyone else. Where possible, the information shared comes from a source and is linked in the blog. The information in this weblog is provided “as is” with no warranties, and confers no rights. I’ll do my best to make sure all the information, including links, are accurate at the time of posting but there’s no guarantee that information posted today will still be valid or accurate in the future.