The Whisky Club's Guide to Japanese whisky

Japanese whisky at The Whisky Club

We're big fans of Japanese whisky at The Whisky Club. Over the years, we've featured a number of Japanese whiskies for our Members. This is a comprehensive list of these whiskies as well as a beginners guide to the Japanese whisky category.

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A brief history of Japanese whisky

The story of Japanese whisky begins with two pioneers: Shinjiro Torii and Masataka Taketsuru. Taketsuru travelled to Scotland alone in 1918 to study the art of whisky production in Speyside and Campbeltown before returning to Japan, where he helped Torii establish the Yamazaki Distillery in 1923. He later moved north to Hokkaido to found Nikka Whisky and build Yoichi Distillery as Japan’s answer to the smoky, peated whiskies of Scotland’s west coast. The first Japanese whisky was released in 1929: Suntory Shirofuda.

Although Japanese whisky has existed for over a century, it is only in the past 10–15 years that it has gained widespread international recognition. This reputation is built on meticulous production methods, a quality-driven whisky-making philosophy, and the use of distinctive cask types, including the famously challenging Japanese oak, Mizunara.

One of the defining differences between Japanese and Scotch whisky lies in the art of blending. In Scotland, distilleries often trade or sell spirit to one another for blending. In Japan, fewer distilleries meant this wasn’t possible, so producers built flexibility into their own operations. By varying fermentation regimes, spirit cuts, and still shapes in their malt production, distilleries could create a wide range of styles entirely in-house. In addition, many distilleries built continuous stills for producing grain whisky. As a result, Japanese blends are every bit as complex and nuanced as their Scottish counterparts, despite drawing from fewer locations. It is probably in the blending lab that the whisky style of Japan is most pronounced versus its global peers.

It is also well known that some historic Japanese blends included imported Scotch whisky to fill stylistic gaps. While this practice continues today, improved labelling makes the distinction clear: bottles marked “Japanese whisky” are produced entirely in Japan, while “Product of Japan” typically indicates the inclusion of Scotch.

The global surge in demand has led to shortages and rising prices, but it has also sparked a wave of new distilleries over the past decade. These boutique and craft producers are embracing tradition while pushing the boundaries of flavour and innovation, shaping the future of Japanese whisky.

At The Whisky Club, we’re passionate about sharing Japanese whisky with our members, whether from established names like Miyagikyo and Fuji Gotemba, or rising stars such as Yuza and Kanosuke. This guide brings together all the Japanese whiskies featured by The Whisky Club, celebrating both heritage and the next generation.

Want to know more? For a deeper dive into Japanese whisky and how it is made, check out the FAQs at the bottom of this article or the following guides:

The Whisky Club's guide to whisky production

The Whisky Club's guide to casks

The Whisky Club's guide to whisky ingredients

The Whisky Club's comparison of Scotch, Irish, American, Australian and Japanese whiskies

The Japanese whiskies we've featured at the Whisky Club

Miyagikyo Distillery

Miyagikyo occupies one of the most picturesque distillery settings in the world. Nestled in a forested valley west of Sendai, it was founded in 1969 by Masataka Taketsuru and his son Takeshi. The distillery was established to broaden the range of styles used in Nikka’s blended whiskies, producing a delicate, unpeated single malt that is light, fruity and floral. This elegant profile was designed to contrast with the peatier whiskies made at its sister distillery, Yoichi, in Hokkaido. Miyagikyo also produces grain whisky in column stills for Nikka’s blended whiskies.

Kanosuke Distillery

Kanosuke is a Japanese whisky distillery located on Kagoshima’s Mellow Coast, balancing forward-thinking innovation with deep historical roots. Drawing on 140 years of shochu production, the team brings unparalleled expertise in fermentation and distillation. As the first company in Japan to mature shochu in oak casks, Kanosuke also holds a rare advantage in maturation. Combined with a strong command of modern whisky-making techniques and a clear vision for a mellow, complex spirit, this foundation has quickly established Kanosuke as a rising star among Japan’s new distilleries.

Fuji Gotemba Distillery

Established in 1973, Fuji Gotemba Distillery was designed around a singular idea: crafting a light, fruity and estery spirit. Using copper pot stills for its single malt, column stills for its single grain, and blending the two for its signature expressions, the distillery has always worked toward a clearly defined house style. Clean, delicate and fruit-driven, this profile has been carefully preserved by generations of distillers and blenders, who see it as the ideal companion to Japanese cuisine, whether enhancing delicate seafood or offering contrast to the deep, savoury flavours of local ramen. In 2022 they added two new sets of pot stills of different sizes to add even more flexibility to their whisky making setup.

Yuza Distillery

Yuza Distillery was founded in 2018 in Japan’s Yamagata Prefecture, releasing its first single malt in 2022. Established by sake producers, the distillery follows a TLAS philosophy—Tiny, Lovely, Authentic and Supreme. Drawing inspiration from admired Scotch distilleries, Yuza modelled its stills on those used at The Macallan and GlenDronach, suggesting a focus on producing a fruity and viscous style of malt whisky.

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This is a complete snapshot of the Japanese whiskies featured by The Whisky Club so far, with plenty more to come. We’re constantly searching the globe for outstanding whiskies, and Japan remains one of the most exciting regions to watch. If you are yet to taste Japanese whisky, there is no better time to explore the category than now. Join The Whisky Club for free to stay up to date with new releases from both long-established producers and the next generation of Japanese distilleries.

What are the best Japanese whisky brands?

Suntory and Nikka are Japan's two traditional powerhouses of whiskymaking owning the most famous brands and distilleries between them. Whether single malts like Yamazaki and Yoichi or blends like Hibiki and Nikka from the Barrel, Suntory and Nikka completely dominate Japanese whisky on the global stage. However, in the last decade we have seen that a new crop of craft distilleries are emerging. These include Chichibu, Yuza and Kanosuke. Here are the best Japanese whisky brands on the market today:

• Yamazaki single malt Japanese whisky - a multi award-winning single malt whisky from Japan's first malt whisky distillery. Yamazaki's flagship 12 year old was the first Japanese whisky to win an international gold medal at the ISC.
• Hakushu single malt Japanese whisky - Yamazaki's sister distillery producing a light, grassy and fruity single malt.
• Hibiki blended Japanese whisky - the epitome of Japan's blending philosophy. Suntory's flagship blended whisky brand has made many whisky drinkers revisit the blended whisky category and has won numerous awards for hteir Harmony range.
• Yoichi single malt Japanese whisky - Nikka's single mals distillery famed for making peated single malts.
• Miyagikyo single malt Japanese whisky - as Hakushu is to Yamazaki, Miyagikyo is to Yoichi. The delicate side of Nikka's single malts.
• Toki single grain Japanese whisky - single grain whisky made for drinking with soda.
• Chichibu single malt Japanese whisky - Ichiro Akuto's small batch craft single malts are turning heads globally.
• Karuizawa single malt Japanese whisky - the rarest and most expensive Japanese whisky on the market, Karuizawa stocks are from a distillery mothballed in the year 2000.
• Kanosuke single malt Japanese whisky - a new distillery making waves in the craft whisky world.

What are Japan's major whisky distilleries?

The major Japanese distilleries are:

• Yamazaki Distillery - Yamazaki was the first established single malt whisky distillery in Japan built by Shinjiro Torii in 1923.
• Yoichi Distillery - Nikka's distillery on Hokkaido, Japan's north island making peated single malt whiskies. Yoichi 10 year old is famous for winning Whisky Magazine's "Best of the Best" award in 2001 and putting Japanese whisky on the map.
• Hakushu Distillery - known for making grassy, fruity and delicate single malt whiskies.
• Miyagikyo Distillery - the fruity and elegant side of Nikka's single malt production, the perfect foil to Yoichi.
• Kanosuke Distillery - a new kid on the block, their ex-shochu casks give their whiskies a unique flavour profile.
• Yuza Distillery - a new and tiny distillery in the Yamagata Prefecture.
• Fuji Gotemba Distillery - Kirin's distillery found at the base of Mount Fuji making a delicate, complex and estery style of whisky.
• Chichibu Distillery - some would argue Japan's first craft distillery founded by Ichiro Akuto.

How did Japanese whisky begin?

Japanese whisky began in the early 20th century with Shinjiro Torii and Masataka Taketsuru, two pioneers who helped establish the Yamazaki Distillery in 1923. Taketsuru had travelled to Scotland in 1918 to study distillation techniques in Campbeltown and Speyside before returning to Japan to apply what he learned.

How is Japanese whisky made?

Japanese whisky is made very much the same way as Scotch whisky.

• Japanese single malt whisky is made from 100% malted barley, distilled in pot stills at a single distillery, and aged for a minimum of three years in oak casks.
• Japanese grain whiskies are made using different grains and can be distilled in column, pot, vacuum stills or in combinations of these methods.
• Japanese blended whisky is a marriage of malt and grain whiskies.

Check out The Whisky Club's guide to making whisky to dive deeper into whisky production.

What is different about Japanese whisky?

Japanese whisky differs in a number of ways to Scotch but the main difference is their unique blending philosophy. Whereas Scotch whisky distilleries will often share or sell spirit to complete their blended whisky recipes, Japanese distilleries often make all of their constituents themselves. This means Japanese distilleries often have different sizes, shapes and types of still; use different yeasts and fermentation regimes and often craft three or four different spirit styles to add complexity to their blends.

To see how Japanese whisky stacks up against other major whisky producing nations, check out The Whisky Club's guide to different types of whisky.

What is Mizunara oak, and why is it special?

Although not explicitly detailed in your file, Mizunara is referenced as a difficult but highly distinctive Japanese oak. Its porous nature makes it hard to work with, but it imparts sought‑after notes of sandalwood, incense, and coconut. These casks have helped shape one of Japan’s signature flavour profile.

What makes Japanese blending so respected?

Japanese blenders are renowned for balancing clarity, precision, and harmony. Because distilleries produce such varied spirit styles independently, blending becomes a central art form often defining the house character more strongly than in other whisky‑making nations.

What defines a “single blended” Japanese whisky?

“Single blended” whisky is a uniquely Japanese category where both malt and grain whisky are produced at one distillery, then blended together. Examples include Fuji Gotemba releases such as the 2022 Masterpiece and the Fuji Single Blended Whisky.

What does Japanese whisky taste like?

Japanese whisky, like Scotch has a spectrum of available flavours. Distilleries like Fuji Gotemba produce a light, clean and fruity style; Hakushu makes a grassy and herbal style; Yamazaki are known for making very complex single malts, Mars make a Springbank-like malty spirit and Yoichi's house style is oily and smoky.

These all contribute to world famous blends like Nikka and Suntory's Hibiki.

Is Japanese whisky better than Scotch?

Japanese whisky stands up well in international competitions where Scotch whiskies are present, often winning gold medals and trophies. Whether it is better is down to personal preference, but we do believe that everyone should experience a Japanese whisky when they get the chance.

Why is Japanese whisky so expensive?

Japanese whisky is expensive due to a shortage of stock and hype around the collectability of the category. Japanese whisky has been gathering critical acclaim since Yamazaki 12 was awarded a gold medal at the International Spirit Competition in 2010. More medals followed for the category and whisky drinkers started to take note. This led to a stock shortage, which compounded the desirability of its famous single malt brands causing prices to spiral upwards as companies tried to control the global allocations of a scarce commodity.

Why has Japanese whisky become so popular?

International acclaim grew sharply after expressions like Yamazaki 12 began winning major awards in the early 2010s. Global demand surged while aged stock remained limited, driving both scarcity and collectability, raising Japanese whisky’s profile worldwide.

How should I drink Japanese whisky?

Japanese whisky can be enjoyed neat, with water, or on the rocks. It is also well suited to a highball, a whisky‑and‑soda serve perfected by Japan’s bartending culture and tailored to highlight each whisky’s aroma and balance.

What is the future of Japanese whisky?

Japan is seeing a surge of new distilleries, improved transparency in labelling (“Japanese whisky” vs “Product of Japan”), continued innovation in fermentation and cask types, and a return to age‑statement releases as stocks rebuild.

Are new Japanese distilleries worth watching?

Yes, a new wave of craft distilleries such as Kanosuke, Yuza, and Chichibu are producing limited‑run, high‑quality whiskies. Their innovation and small‑scale releases make them increasingly influential in shaping Japan’s whisky future.

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