Japanese Whisky

Japanese whisky has become more diverse over the years, receiving notoriety among spirit lovers. It is usually consumed with food and in mizuwari (mixed with cold water), oyuwari (mixed with hot water) and on za roku (on the rocks). Japanese whisky is similar to Scotch whisky, thus the omission of the “e”. But unlike in Scotland, a whisky company will own both the distillery and the brands of blended whiskies. The Japanese companies will not trade with their competitors. In Scotland, different companies own the distillery, the single malt and even the blend and will trade with each other to create unique combinations. This has forced the Japanese whisky makers to diversify their whisky in-house and create a larger palette of whisky – from smoky and peaty to heavily sherried and then the light airy spirits.