Published: 2/19/2021
It’s been a big week in the Japanese alcohol world and at The Japanese Bar. This week’s newsletter gets into the big whisky news of the week, the main types of sake, Echigo IPA, and more.
Sake Types: Grades & Styles
If there’s one thing every sake fan should know, it’s the official sake grades. Learn about them, as well as all of the various sake styles in this foundational post.
We’ll teach you the basics so you can start choosing sake with confidence.
Hakushu 12 Year: Review, Price, & More
The Hakushu 12 is one of the finest whiskies made in Japan. It’s also becoming harder to find, and increasingly more expensive.
This post covers this elite Hakushu whisky in detail. You’ll find tasting notes, learn where to find the best price, get pairing and service suggestions, similar whiskies, and more.
Echigo Flying IPA: Japanese Craft Beer
Flying IPA is a hugely successful Japanese craft beer from Echigo Beer of Niigata (新潟). It has only two drawbacks: it’s pricey and hard to find.
In this post, we explain why this beer is worth trying. Included are tasting notes, online retailers that deliver, similar beer recommendations, beer pairing suggestions, and more.
Japanese Alcohol: the Best of the Internet
Much Needed Japanese Whisky Reform on the Horizon
Fake Japanese whisky takes a hit with long-overdue industry standards taking shape. The Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association has created regulations and labeling requirements that align with other major whiskies like Scotch and bourbon.
These rules are not the law in Japan, yet. However, Association members will be required to meet these new standards.
It’s important to note that these rules will not stop shady new brands from selling fake Japanese whisky, at least for the time being. Therefore, it’s still important to do your homework.
In case you were wondering, many reputable Japanese whisky makers were taking advantage of the loose rules. Of the established producers, arguably only Suntory and Ichiro’s Malt have been transparent.
New rules go into effect on April 1, 2021. Just in time, Nikka announced this week that their award-winning Nikka From the Barrel doesn’t meet the new qualifications. It’s long been assumed (if you’re an industry insider) that Nikka uses Ben Nevis Scotch in this, and other, Nikka blended whiskies. They’re still not willing to say it, but at least they admit that From the Barrel doesn’t meet the Association’s standards.
Kurayoshi, one of the most infamous fakers, is a surprising member of the group. Their age-statement Yamazaki imitations from Scotland will no longer use the term “Product of Japan.”
If I sound mad, it’s because like many other fans of Japanese whisky, I too have been ripped off. As a restaurant buyer, I once excitedly bought a relatively expensive bottle of Togouchi “Japanese whisky” without knowing it was simply low-quality blended Scotch.
I see Kurayoshi 18-year bottles dying on the shelves of many restaurants. With so many struggling due to Covid restrictions, it burns me to think how much money was thrown away on these fakes.
There are too many reformed fake whisky-peddling Association members to list. Take a look at the current JSLMA members (in Japanese). Going forward, at least, you can trust their labeling practices.
Here’s a pretty good article from Bloomberg that goes deeper into this subject. It also includes the obligatory Stefan van Eycken quotes.
New Frontiers of Wine: Emerging Wine Regions
Japanese wine hasn’t emerged on the global stage, but there are signs that it will soon. At the moment, I believe the primary obstacle is extremely high export prices. But even this may not stop their ascent.
Apparently, Wine Enthusiast thinks Japanese wine is close to a breakout too. Check out what they have to say about the county’s wine in their informative post.
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