LET ' S TALK ABOUT WHISKY
W L
LET ' S TALK ABOUT WHISKY
by David Beaufort-Dysart
Having left the United States and Bourbon country , we can now say ' Konnichiwa ' or hello in Japanese and head over to ' The Land of Rising Sun ' that is Japanese whisky !
The Japanese whisky industry was founded in the 1920 ' s with a partnership between Shinjiro Torii , the owner of a firm importing scotch , and Masataka Taketsuro , a distiller who studied whisky making in Scotland . Masataka relocated to Scotland to study distilling as a chemistry student ; he not only returned with a passion and new found knowledge for whisky making , but also with a Scottish wife , ' Rita Cowen '. He started working for Shinjiro Torii , soon to be known as Suntory ( Japan ' s biggest whisky provider ). In 1934 he founded his own distilling company , Nikka Whisky , situated on the cold northern Island of Hokkaido , which actually has very similar conditions to Scotland .
In a historically blend dominated market , the quality of Japanese whisky is astonishingly high . Japanese whisky is about attention to detail , they have a very scientific approach to their craft , with a focus on ' purity of flavour '. Japan ' s first blended whisky ' Shirofuda ' also known as ' White label ', released in 1929 was heavy and smoky , it wasn ' t a success , they went back to the drawing board and went light with their next release , named ' Kakubin ' this remains as one of Japan ' s top selling whisky .
What are we tasting today ? Suntory Hibiki Harmony
Hibiki Harmony
Colour : Amber . Nose : Floral notes with orange and sandalwood . Taste : Honeyed sweetness . Candied orange peel Finish : Subtle , tender long finish , with hint of Mizunara ( Japanese oak ).
If you really want to treat yourself The Hibiki 21 Year Old is the most awarded whisky from all of Japan , and in fact one of the most awarded whisky ' s in the world , winning awards over and over again !
Japanese whisky is not trying to be Scottish , their aim was always to create a Japanese style . Creation is concerned with concentration of flavour , purity and at the same time simplicity .
Their is a saying in Japanese called ' Shibusa ' which means any imperfections within are what makes things more beautiful , The great Canadian singer-songwriter and poet Leonard Cohen sang ' Their is a crack in everything , that ' s how the light gets in ', I like that ! To be honest I can ' t find any cracks in this delightful dram !
“ Whisky demands appreciation , you gaze first , then its time to drink ” Anonymous
Until next time friends ... Slàinté
Created by chief blender Shinji Fukoyo , this is a blend of 10 malts and 3 grain whiskies , to create a ' harmonious blend ' The Suntory distillery , founded in 1923 is next to the site of Sen No Rikyu ' s first tea house built in the 16th century , he was the creator of the original tea ceremony .
I must say this bottle is stunning , not the easiest to hold though so be careful . The bottle or more decanter is faceted with 24 edges , these represent the 24 seasons of the Japanese calendar ( solar terms .)
30 wirrallife . com