The UK arm of Amber Beverage Group will debut the brands at The Whisky Show in London this weekend (30 September-2 October).

The palate mimics the nose and comes across as young and spirity. There’s a weak malty character that arises while sipping on it, but it doesn’t manifest in a way that balances it out or adds any richness. Minor hints of caramel hide beneath the large grain and alcohol notes. Taste-wise, Japanese whiskies run the spectrum from light and fruity to luxuriously rich. Expect sweet honey and toffee notes, a hint of fruit such as orange and a characteristic smoothness. You’ll often enjoy a warming sherry heat, plus a little smoke where a peated malt is involved.

Whether you’re new to Japanese whisky or just want to try something new, these are the best of the best

Walsh Whiskey owner Amber Beverage Group enjoyed ‘strong’ double-digit growth in its 2021 fiscal year. Nikka Coffey Grain is unique in style compared to the generally well-balanced blends you may be used to in Japanese whisky. It’s a single grain whisky, used in many of Nikka’s award-winning blends, and this bottle offers a chance to show itself off as an elegant whisky in its own right. One of the few “official” Japanese whiskies remaining since the new legislation, Nikka Coffey Grain is distilled in “Coffey stills” imported from Scotland (named after their inventor, nothing to do with espresso), using corn and malted barley.

Whiskybase B.V. (“Whiskybase”, “we” or “us”, company details below) offers a whisky enthusiasts online platform that provides its members access to the most comprehensive, transparent and trusted resource of whisky bottles and allows and stimulates its members to contribute information about whisky bottles to the platform (“Service”). The whiskies are stored for between three to eight years mostly in oak casks previously used for Bourbon, Sherry, wine, or sake. Naysayers criticise the Akashi for being one-dimensional, but fans delight in its unashamedly fruity, chocolatey and spicy profile. There are bags of molasses in here, lending a Christmas cake aroma, followed up with lots of dried fruit and almonds on the palate. The ageing in oak casks means there is an undercurrent of woodiness, too. Our Service is an online platform which provides Members with information (e.g. bottle facts, market-indices, market values and prices) on (mostly) whisky and allows Members to add information to the platform. We do not sell, nor does the Service provide any option to buy, any alcoholic products. You can sip it neat, of course; the best whiskies need little else than a tumbler. But if you want to dial down some of the hotter, boozier notes in a lively whisky, add a little ice or water to open it up and mellow it out.

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That’s entirely up to you. But may we make some suggestions? There are a few drinking rituals surrounding Japanese whisky that it’s only right to give ceremony to. The Togouchi brand includes four expressions that are new to the UK: Togouchi Beer Cask (40% ABV), Togouchi Sake Cask (40% ABV), Togouchi Pure Malt (40% ABV) and Togouchi Single Malt (43% ABV). The bottling joins three other Akashi whiskies in the market: Akashi Blended (40% ABV), Akashi Single Malt (46% ABV), and Akashi Single Malt Sherry Cask 5 Year Old (50% ABV). Bottom line, the White Oak Akashi Blended Whisky either needs more years in the barrel or to use better barrels. It needs more of a whisky character and less of a new-make character, but hey at least it’s smooth…

Young spirity vanilla, caramel syrup, spice and a watery herbal quality. It’s not the worst young blended whisky I’ve had, but it’s in the neighborhood. The expression join three existing whiskies available in the UK: Togouchi Premium (40% ABV), Togouchi 9 Year Old (40% ABV) and Togouchi 15 Year Old (43.8%). In this list, we’ve chosen to include a breadth of whiskies from Japan, rather than simply those labelled “Japanese whisky”, but have made it clear which products don’t meet the new terms. Current laws allow producers to import whisky from around the world. And, while the unscrupulous use this loose regulation to pass entirely imported products off as Japanese, many reputable brands use foreign-produced whisky in their blends. Look out for the ‘world whisky’ label when purchasing. The Chita is a notable distillery on the Chita Peninsula, where three generations have worked as master blenders to produce some of the most famously harmonious whiskies around. This representation from the seaside distillery is the first “official” single-grain Japanese whisky from the House of Suntory, which allows the grain to shine as a single expression.No… just no. This White Oak Akashi Blended Whisky is not a good whisky. It’s spirit driven and carries a vodka-like essence to it with just a hint of whisky flavoring. I don’t get any of the peat that’s supposed to be in it. Nor do I get any of the sherry sweetness that should be showing up from the sherry finishing. The Suntory Toki is universally popular, with its relatively low price tag making it a great choice for those looking to start their journey into Japanese whisky. A blend of some of Suntory’s most lauded singles – the Chita grain, Hakushu malt and two hard-hitting Yamazaki malts – makes this is a crowd-pleasing, accessible whisky, which shows off many of the characteristics whisky from Japan is known for. We may sell, license, transfer, assign or in any other way dispose of the Service (including Members) to any third party without any notification to you, e.g. (but without limitation) in connection with any reorganization, restructuring, merger or sale, or other transfer of assets. The Service has been prepared by us solely for information purposes to Members and the Service is based on information we consider reliable and we obtain the contents of the Service from a number of different third party sources (including Contributions), but we do not endorse, support, represent, warrant or guarantee the completeness, truthfulness, accuracy, or reliability of the Services and any information therein.

Akashi is certainly one of the big names in Japanese whisky. However, production volumes are small. Their whiskies were long made for the domestic market with its lax definition of “whisky”. Japanese whiskies are distinctively different and designed to be consumed in a way that differs from traditional spirits in this sector. These spirits are designed to be enjoyed as light, fresh, long drinks, a style that is particular to Japanese whiskies. The White Oak was the first Japanese distillery to gain a whisky distillation licence (in 1919) and today, it continues to make whiskies in the traditional Scotch whisky style. Akashi is a blend of characteristic Scotch malt and other grain whiskies. The result is a tipple heavy with cereal and spice, but still straightforward and simple enough for everyday drinking. This is whisky blended in the scotch tradition, with Japanese precision, the malt is lightly peated, and vatting is mostly ex-bourbon, balanced by White Oak’s unique variety of barrels.

Whisky reviews for Akashi Whisky

You are responsible for all activities through your account. You are responsible for the accuracy of the information you provide to us in relation to your account, and for updating it where necessary. You are not allowed to create multiple accounts. We may terminate or temporarily suspend your account to protect you, ourselves or our partners from (suspected) identity theft or other (suspected) fraudulent (e.g. false, misleading, deceptive) activity. You have the obligation to keep your login credentials confidential. You shall not authorize any others to use or access your account. Grain, a much lighter style, is commonly used to balance out a blend. However, with a shortage of mature malts, Japanese distillers have embraced the style in its own right; some of the most revered Japanese whiskies are, in fact, grain. Distilled from cereal grains rather than malted barley, expect floral, fruity notes. How to drink Japanese whisky Eigashima Shuzo (known as White Oak Distillery in Japan) is one of Japan's oldest family-run distilleries with centuries of beverage making experience. Situated just a stone throw's away from Osaka Bay in the fishing village of Akashi, the distillery enjoysawarm, coastal climate all year round, seeing the highest average temperatures and lowest annual rainfall out of all the Japanese distilleries. The operation is now run byitsninth generation, recently hiring their 7th full-time employee.