Is the shortage of aged Japanese whisky a cause for concern?“ACQUIRING JAPANESE WHISKY requires a lot of patience, resources and most of all – luck,” notes Loh Chin Hui, an avid collector who showcases his latest buys under the moniker, Whisky Uncle.
“The Japanese are also very proud of their natural water – for good reason. Couple that with the four season climate for maturation and you’ll get a different interaction with oak barrels ,” adds Vincent Hong, managing director of Barworks Wine & Spirits Pte Ltd.What’s surprising is how recently the world developed a raging thirst for Japanese whisky – four years to be exact.
As of January 2019, whisky lovers bid farewell to the Nikka 12 Years Old and Suntory Kakubin White Label. Suntory announced back in May 2018 that they would cease sales of Hakushu 12 Year Old and Hibiki 17 Year Old, while Kirin just sent out its last shipment of Fuji Sanroku Tarujuku 50° in March. Other fallen soldiers include aged expressions from Yoichi and Miyagikyo under the Nikka brand.
“Whisky, particularly those being aged for 10 or more years, were not produced in sufficient volume to sustain the new markets we see emerging today,” says Mr Prashant.While the industry boomed during the 1970s and early 1980s, it declined following the availability of imported whisky from Scotland. The final nail in the coffin came when the Scotch whisky industry won a World Trade Organisation ruling that eliminated taxes on foreign spirits in 1996.
Mr Fergusson-Stewart put it best. “The industry has flip-flopped on the messaging. Back in the 80s, the whisky industry was in a slump. Many distilleries, particularly Scotch, had high levels of stock that continued to age. It suited them to stress the importance of age to fetch higher prices for the said stock. Today, stocks are lower. It makes more sense to drive attention away from the age, and draw focus on the cask and flavour.
Mention the origin of Japanese whisky and you'd hear the name Kiichiro Iwai. One of Japan's whisky pioneers, we have him to thank for Masataka Taketsuru, who started Yamazaki Distillery and Nikka Whisky. It was he who sent Taketsuru on the momentous journey to Scotland, after all.
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