Single malt whisky is made entirely from malted barley. No other grains (corn, rye, etc.) are permitted. Furthermore, single malt whisky must be the product of one single distillery. And the whisky must be distilled in a pot still.
Malt Whisky vs Single Malt
Malt whisky contains 100% malted barley. But it can be a blend of malt whisky from different distilleries. Single malt implies the whisky is from one single distillery.
“Pure malt” is sometimes used interchangeably with malt whisky in Scotland, though the practice isn’t common today. Suntory used to do this with its Yamazaki distillery whisky. But in 1984, Suntory branded the Yamazaki name, labeling it a single malt.
Nikka set the modern standard for pure malt with its Taketsuru brand. Today, Japanese pure malt is a blend of malt whiskies from multiple distilleries.
Famous Single Malts from Japan
The top four Japanese single malts are Yamazaki, Hakushu, Yoichi, and Miyagikyo. They’ve long dominated the market share. Mars Komagatake, Akashi, Akkeshi, and Ichiro’s Malt single malts are also excellent.
And there are many newer distilleries distilling malt whisky in Japan.