Last month, iconic Japanese whisky distilling family Nikka officially stopped selling their age statement flagship whiskies from Miyagikyo and Yoichi, among other releases.
While they continue to remain operational, they became too popular too fast; their older casks are simply gone, and it could theoretically be upwards of a decade before they get whisky of that maturity again.
This news increases speculation that it won’t be long before rival Suntory, with their Hibiki, Haksuhu and Yamazaki brands do the same. Most special whiskies that were once available on airport duty free shelves and department stores in Japan are all but completely dried up. This is a special time for treasure hunters and hoarders as the Japanese whisky is approaching a point where the producers really need to reign in the special and aged releases out of sheer scarcity of stock in their warehouses.
And so this was the mood and tone when I was heading into Modern Malt’s Whisky Live 2015 in Akihabara, Tokyo last month. The event was a collaboration between Whisky Magazine Japan and the Modern Malt Market, and saw a star-studded turn-out of whisky enthusiasts and producers. With representatives from legendary Spirngbank Scotch Whisky distillers in Campbelltown and, more locally, famed Ichiro Akuto, the event was a great success and a great opportunity to learn.
In the far back corner of the room were some real gems: Nikka Single Cask releases from 2001 and a 25-year-old Single Cask that were very impressive. From Suntory headquarters in Osaka, there were some single cask bottles from Whisky Shop W – one being a sherry cask and the other a bourbon cask, with the former being spicy with sweet and saline characteristics, and the latter rounder with cobbler characteristics that are becoming telltale of a Suntory Single Bourbon cask for me.
The panel discussions during the show were fun and informative with Dave Broom having in-depth discussion with Nikka Chief Blender Tadashi Sakuma, who spoke about cask variation and dedication to his craft. Nikka definitely has a strategy and their moves away from age statement whiskies may seem half calculated and half marketing (I guess those can be the same thing) but I believe that they will continue to produce high quality whisky and not succumb to demand. Rather, their quality will remain high and they will work to satisfy what has become a phenomenal demand.
On the Scotch whisky side, Mr. Broom led a debate of sorts with the intention of discerning who produces greater whiskies: independent bottlers or distillers? For all of the oenophiles, think domaine v.s. negociant. This duel of tongues had representatives from Duncan Taylor and Cadenhead, Scotland’s oldest indie bottler exchanging words with Springbank, one of Scotland’s most historic distilleries and Kilchoman whose founding in 2005 makes them the first new Islay distillery in almost one and a quarter centuries!
Both sides had compelling arguments: The distillers have freedom and control over the entire process from malt and selection to maturation and distillation methods, while the bottlers claim that without them, the distilleries wouldn’t be able to sell the high volumes of bottles they produce!
The bottlers claimed that they showcase variety, and are able to innovate and educate a forever-maturing whisky consumer while the distilleries countered that the bottlers had no terroir and no sense of individuality.
As for who won? Let’s just call it a draw. It would be like pitting Number One Drinks and their Karuizawa bottles against a fully healthy and active distillery like Yamazaki in Kyoto. Some battles are best left undecided.
The bleak notion that the older whiskies have disappeared from Nikka’s stores were irrelevant in that the Coffey Malt and Coffey Grain whiskies caught a lot attention next to the new Yoichi and Miyagikyo No Age Statement Whiskies. Suntory was able to showcase their new ‘Chita’ grain whisky from their Aichi Distillery. Even Shizuoka’s Kirin distillery had grain whiskies to show with their ‘Blender’s Choice’ label of malt and grain whiskies. I was also lucky enough to taste a single cask, non-chill filtered 18 Year Kirin and it was a very promising sign of the potential Kirin has.
Grain whisky is definitely a focus currently in Japan and it’s a great thing. The whiskies all showed well, and are distinctive in their own ways. Grain whiskies tend to be made from corn, usually 99-100 percent, and have a soft, sweet and candied character with charming baking spice notes like cinnamon and nutmeg. They often remind me of eggnog for all of its rich, warm, spiced goodness.
There is also a push towards malt whisky made in a continuous still, also called a Coffey still in Nikka’s nomenclature, named after Aurelius Coffey who made a primitive type of continuous still in Scotland in the 19th century. Nikka Miyagikyo distillery purchased one of the stills some time ago and it is now getting quite the workout as it produces two flagship whiskies in Nikka’s current range: The Coffey Malt and Coffey Grain.
Japanese whisky continues to evolve and people continue to respect and learn about Scotch whisky. As a result, appreciation continues to grow and as long as producers and bottlers remain passionate and creative, there will be great opportunity for all of us to experience the great whiskies of the world.
Below are my reviews for some of the whiskies tasted at Modern Malt Whisky Live.
Kirin Fuji-Gotemba ‘Blender’s Choice’ Single Grain
Country: Japan
Region: Shizuoka
Vintage: No Age Statement
Score: 91
Definitely peatless, this is a soft and gentle entry for Fuji Gotemba. It is extremely approachable with notes of banana, gram crumb and mild vanilla custard. The finish fell a little short but the generous aroma and charming, sweet midpalate make it a great entry for Kirin.
Kirin Fuji-Gotemba ‘Blender’s Choice’ Single Malt
Country: Japan
Region: Shizuoka
Vintage: No Age Statement
Score: 94
The over 40-years-old distillery has definitely marked a stage of growth with the release of this single malt. It is punchier and more savory than the single grain counterpart with bittersweet chocolate biscuit and vanilla wafer notes that give way to a crushed white flower component. Later, there are layers of prune and strawberry. This whisky is complex and impressive.
Nikka Coffey Malt Whisky
Country: Japan
Region: Miyagi
Vintage: No Age Statement
Score: 96
Nikka’s Coffey Malt explodes with crunchie candy bar notes and, although there is no coffee in the whisky (contrary to popular belief) there are great roasted coffee bean notes present on the nose that become mocha on the palate. This is a malty and savory dram that is enjoyable at any stage of the day; it shows exceptional balance and just a notion of tannin which makes it so particularly appealing.
Nikka Coffey Grain Whisky
Country: Japan
Region: Miyagi
Vintage: No Age Statement
Score: 92
The Coffey Grain is more readily available on the market compared to the Coffey Malt though I’m not sure how long that will last. It gets great attention from the media and it was definitely the breakthrough for Nikka’s next stage of No Age Statement releases. Made mostly from corn and a small percentage of malted barley, it’s got plenty of caramelized corn characteristics and toasted nut notes with subtle notes of rock melon on the palate.
Kirin Fuji-Gotemba 18 Year Single Malt
Country: Japan
Region: Shizuoka
Vintage: 18 Year Single Malt
Score: 98
This whisky has been flown under the radar for a long time and remains one of Japan’s great and largely undiscovered whiskies. It’s got next-level complexities of soft leather, chamomile and honey on the nose that prove to have an impressive, mouth-coating texture that is broken up by citrus notes like the Japanese citrus Sudachi for all of its floral and tangy characteristics. There is just a notion of peat that lingers on the finish as a means of closure to the enveloping sweet/sour play that carries on from the first taste all the way to the finish. A very special dram.
Contributing Editor Elliot Faber is the beverage director of two cool Japanese restaurants in Hong Kong – Yardbird and Ronin – as well as Sunday’s Grocery. He is also one of the world’s experts on sake, Japanese whisky, shochu, awamori and Japanese beer.
