Just stumbled upon this channel, love it already! I am quite fond of the Nikka whiskies, I've visited the distillery up in Hokaido, tasting was ... free! A great experience, you only have to go there...
I saw Nikka whisky here for the first time about 12 years ago. I got intrigued and bought a bottle. I absolutely love them. They are my favourite type of whisky right after smokey islay single malt.
Wasn't a movie star or a famous author in my case. I lucked into a tasting at a liquor store. They offered me a drink of Nikka Yoichi NAS. Probably would have never ever found out otherwise how great it is. Now I drink the three core Nikka NAS's and can't wait to discover more good ones from Japan! Learning about Japan and its whisky is enjoyable too. Nice review, thanks and cheers!
There's a good Japanese bar/restaurant in Sydney called Tokyo Bird and my friend had a going away party there, we got tired of beer so we started ordering whisky and at the end of the night I had run a bill of $300 and that was about 6 glasses, I'm not normally a whisky guy but something about them just compelled me to drink more.
Saw one of your videos first pop up on my feed a few days ago and I subscribed. Now, quite a few of your videos are in my feed. After a couple days you're up from 8k to 10k. Damn the algorithm loves you rn
Went out for lunch today at our "local" whisky bar after watching this. First cab off the rank was a Nikka Pure Malt :D I would not have even looked at it if not for this video (after a couple of others (I wasn't driving) murdered my taste buds with an Octomore lol) So thanks again for making information on these drinks accessible and entertaining
There is a Japanese restaurant that I went to a couple of years ago and a few times since. When I ordered the whisky, the bartender couldn't help pouring flights for me. I got to taste a whole range. They were very interesting. I had a lot of questions and he kept pouring more. My point is that if you ask a lot of questions, they are very eager to promote them. Very educational.
I have NO clue how I ended up here, but #1 I love the ladies voice, accent and face #2 I don’t drink much, but found this fascinating #3 Yep, subscribed #4 Not sure why, witchcraft? #5 Thank you 😊 Lee, UK 🇬🇧
Behind the Bar ooooo look at you show off! Hehe, just kiddin 😊 Well that was probably a nicer comment than mine, I’m just straight to the point... “I like your voice, your accent and I most definitely love your face”. God damn it, what am I doing flirting with a lady who’s thousands of miles away 😂😂 Anyway, I hope the rest of your week is awesome. Lee Uk 🇬🇧
Here in Portland ME, there were two places where you could at least get a pour, but now? Not so much as a drop to be had for love nor money. But if I wanted a bottle, it was a drive down to Boston or, if I was very lucky, the state liquor stores in New Hampshire would get a shipment. Much as I love it here, the local distilleries in Maine are just.... Lacking.
The reason Japanese whisky is soo expensive is due to the lack of supply and increase in demand . As Japan in the 80s had halted production of whisky in favour of producing sake as it was cheap and it was the flavour of month for quite a long period of time. During this time a number of whisky distillery had closed e.g. Chichibu/Hanyu distillery and Karuizawa Distillery. These whisky now fetch over few thousands dollars especially the Hanyu collection and the rarer Karuizawa bottles. But the good news is you can still taste the Chichibu whisky as Ichiro Akuto bought the remaining 400 casks from the distillery to make Ichiro’s Malt. They’re relatively affordable in Japan ranging from ¥10,000 to ¥15,000 or in AUD $150-$200. Now the thing which I really dislike in this video is showing FAKE Japanese whisky. Which is rebranded imported scotch. Here is an infographic of fake Japanese whiskies that you can check out before you get ripped off. www.nomunication.jp/2018/07/06/infographic-japanese-whisky-real-or-fake/ Here are a name of a few fake Japanese whiskies you should be aware of: Kurayoshi Yamazukura excluding their new born expression which is distilled in Japan Shinobu Helios Toguchi
Hey pal! It’s a really interesting discussion, and something we’re very up front about in this discussion! I absolutely love Ichiro’s Malt but it also has portions of Scotch and Canadian whisky in the Malt and Grain, and Nikka use whisky from the Ben Nevis distillery in their blends as well. My point is the whisky still has to be tasty to justify the price tag!
Yamazakuri is also an interesting one- they’re of the same era as Nikka/Suntory but lost their stock due to the Fukushima disaster so you can totally understand their using other whiskies to try and get themselves back on the map while they distill and lay down whisky, and it’s actually very tasty.
Behind the Bar definitely, there are some of these whiskies that are branding themselves as Japanese made when they’re not. But Ichiro does state that it’s a world blend on their bottling. You can still purchase affordable Japanese whisky that are also aged for example Moonglow Whisky 10 year that is affordable. the price we pay in our respective regions the sellers mark it up. When you purchase in Japan it’s a fraction of what we are paying for. A Moonglow 10 year for example is $400 AUD, whereas buying in Japan is only ¥9000 ($100AUD). Or the samurai edition of a Nikka Whisky sold on AU for $500. When buy it at the airport is ¥4000 or $50 AUD.
Behind the Bar yep - but the large brand does market their whiskies as world blends and not lie about where the dram comes from. But hopefully the legislation comes in soon in Japan to stop the fake Japanese whiskies. There’s also loose regulations governing whisky which permits blends of imported and domestic whisky to be sold as being 'Japanese', and allows 'whisky' to be used as a term for a spirit made with as little as 10% whisky blended with any neutral spirit.
Ed Li absolutely, I don’t think any of the brands we show here actively hide the fact they’re not 100% Japanese (and their Aussie importers definitely don’t), but it would be good to have to have it on the bottle. It’ll be really interesting to see what happens if and when regulations tighten up, I almost wonder if they’ll push it back until enough distilleries have enough of their own whisky to keep the industry going (but maybe I’m being cynical haha).
‘Sets your wallet on fire’ is an excellent way to put it haha. It’s certainly not cheap- there’s just not as much whisky coming out of Japan and the demand is so high the price will most likely stay like this for a while unfortunately.
To reply to the title of this video, and, as a long time foreign resident of Japan, I can assure you that EVERYTHING in Japan is expensive and overpriced. To the average Japanese, this indicates best quality regardless of your personal taste.
I’ve been to Japan numerous times, I believe it’s relatively cheap compared to prices in Australia. Whisky is quite cheap in Japan you can buy really good scotch for under $100, a glenmorangie was like ¥4000 ($55 AUD) or a Nikka Taketsuru Renewal for ¥2600 ($35 AUD) compared Australian prices of $125 for Nikka and $100 for Glenmorangie
@@Ethereal1 That is probably and expression of the high alcohol tax in Australia. Just like Norway incredibly high alcohol taxes has , Australia apparently has the 4th highest alcohol tax in the world (AUS $2.23 pltr (shoot!) Ger $0.12, USA $0.28 ..)
I have a bottle of Nikka Gold & Gold Samurai Edition and while the bottle is amazing (and will never leave my bar shelf), I much prefer a Laphroaig at a quarter the price.
Nikka Gold is a low-quality line in Japan. Why they put it in cool bottles I don't understand. I guess it's the only way they can convince people to buy it.
I used to live in Japan, and I feel like the Japanese don't export too much of their cheapest whiskies. Whilst living there, of course, I experienced some great Japanese whiskies, but I've also had cheap and mediocre whisky there too such as Nikka Black and Suntory Tory's. Although, I've just looked them up and you can get them here in the UK, but they seem to sell for at least £30 for a 70CL bottle. These are literally about £7/8 or so a bottle in Japan, and are bottom shelf, sitting alongside the cheapest scotches and bourbons.
That sounds pretty interesting. I looked up some prices at my local store and you're not kidding. If I didn't already have six partial bottles of scotch, maybe I would buy some.
Nikka From The Barrel is still fairly widely available and around the $100 mark (so as good as it gets really haha), I’d consider that a great starting point if your Scotch bottles get dangerously low...
Japanese whiskeys are like truffle. Are they really good?- yes. Is it really worth your money?- Hell no. Although if you want to set your wallet on fire for that sip you should go for it😜.
Avirag Vishwas or at least what you find in your average super market and the like for quality and price. If you have a hookup for either they are absolutely worth every cent!
Some very rare Japanese whiskey maybe. But that's the problem with every other brand. In my local stores half of Japanese bottles go for almost low shelf prices, the rest are no more expensive than Lagavulin 16, and I think 60 EUR for a bottle of good scotch is fair enough. With some rare exceptions obviously, like limited edition or something special. Ofc some stores throw 20 EUR on top of the original price, but I stay away from them, unless there's no other place to get what I want. And in Japan the prices are also fairly low. So it might have something to do with delivery and taxes in your country, rather than with whiskey itself.
Pretty informative video, thank you for putting it out. I noticed a few inaccuracies but I still appreciated learning about the mizunara oak casks. By the way, and this shouldn't be too shocking, Japanese whiskey is way cheaper in Japan. Export/import tariffs and alcohol taxes definitely play a role in the high price. A friend gave me a bottle of Miyagikyo which retails for ~$25 USD in Japan and I've seen it in US liquor stores for as much as $150.
I can confirm. Most Japanese whiskey here in Scandinavia are 20-70EUR which is totally fair in my opinion, unless the store is trying to score some extra cash on top. In Japan for example I bought Nikka from the barrel for equivalent of $40 3 years ago from 7/11. Bet it's way cheaper in a specialized store. So it's definitely taxes, delivery and your local store also needs a profit.
I maybe late to the party, but let me give you a Japanese perspective. The biggest reasons the Japanese whiskies are expensive, not mentioned in the video, are the limited supply due to the sudden increase in demand. There was a TV series on the life of Taketsuru in 2013, which sharply increased the demand for Nikka and Suntory whiskies, both of which Taketsuru was involved. This coincided with the sudden increase of Chinese tourists, who will buy anything Japanese left and right. Both Nikka and Suntory were not prepared for this sudden surge of demand for their whiskies, so their malt reserves are pretty much depleted. Until then, I always picked up a few bottles of Taketsuru 17 years for under US$30 at duty free shops, but you don’t find any Japanese whiskies at Japanese airport duty free shops any more. There used to be a Taketsuru 12 years, which a lot of people said were good value, but they had to discontinue it as they used up their malt reserves. I am happy with other alternatives, so I will revisit the Japanese whiskies when the prices become more reasonable again some time in the future.
Absolutely that’s what happened, but I guess what’s interesting is that the drying up of age statements pushed the price up of everything from Japan, so even blends that are not all Japanese whiskies command much higher prices- in Australia, something like Monkey Shoulder which is a blended 100% malt sits at about half the price of a Japanese whisky which is a blend (malt and grain) where some of the whisky was made outside of Japan. Scotch is having a similar issue with age statements and those are getting more expensive, but it’s not driving the price of everything up (yet!).
Behind the Bar Hopefully vodka and gin become spirits of choice for many, and people forget about whiskies for several years. That way some of the less honest practices get weeded out, and I may be able to pick up some good Japanese whiskies at duty free shops on my way back from Japan.
John Smith Call me cynical but I reckon it will get tightened up as soon as enough Japanese distilleries have their own stock of whisky to sell, and not a moment before haha. As it is, all we can do at the moment is decide how much you’re happy to spend and enjoy it!
I don't know how i stumbled across your video, but now i am binge watching all the whiskey videos learning so much..thank you..hope to meet you in person some day
I think you've got it wrong! The reason why they didn't taste test the whiskey is because it's too fucking expensive for just a review and they were saving it for more important things like selling it to customers willing to pay for it. For me, if your gonna do a whiskey review, you have to taste test it so you can give the viewers an idea about how it tastes. Thanks for your comment though.@@simonjupiter
@@johnnyzig I think you've got it wrong! Where are you getting the impression that this is a "whiskey review"? The title of the video is pretty explicit that this will be a discussion about the cost and recent popularity in Japanese whiskey. There are entire channels dedicated to whiskey reviews--Behind the Bar is not one of them.
Yurius I The variety of scotch is indeed vast and many are affordable top notch for the money , but there is a word I attach to Japanese scotch it’s clarity . It’s bloody good whiskey I must say
Yurius I I’ve had a cpl they were yamazaki and the other was hibiki both were lovely , I am sure ms devine would have more to say on the matter on what’s the better whiskey, apparently Japanese whiskies are becoming more expensive than ever before
Correction-Matthew Perry or any other foreigner did not introduce distillation to Japan. While Japanese whiskey (and wine) weren’t a thing until the late 19c/early 20c, Japan had long used distillation to make shochu and awamori.
Very informative~!!! Japanese whisky is too expensive though. There are so many good whisky in the world with that high price of Japanese whisky. I think. :)
That’s a totally reasonable opinion! One thing to bear in mind is that (with a couple of notable exceptions) Japanese distilleries are much smaller scale than a lot of the big Scottish ones- same with most emerging markets (like Australia!). It’s hard to keep costs down without economy of scale. Not that I ever discourage people from drinking Scotch haha, but just a good thing to bear in mind when looking at prices 😊
marketing strategy... it's always on par or slight higher priced in japan locally as well.... even the blended whiskies that are composed of imported Scotch whisky liquids, the local prices are comparatively higher than their imported counterparts. so oddly, when in japan, it's prudent to drink Scotch as you'll get more bang for your buck. i buy Scotch whisky or old Cognac when visiting japan as the prices there are very attractive. and buy at local liquor store as they are more often cheaper than the duty free shops at the airport.
Before 2015 back in NE I could get Yamazaki 12/18 for ~100/180 US a bottle, noticed the 18 yr old a week ago in a North Hollywood liquor store at 999.- (plus tax). Pass, I'll stick to very reasonably priced Speyside blends
Most of the cost in import, like if you were in Japan say Jameson would be expensive compared to the local whisky, like here Jameson is cheaper and the imports (Japanese whisky) is more expensive. But drink whiskey it's good.
I'm lucky enough to have a number of quality age statement Japanese whiskys in the stash for a rainy day. Unfortunately I only have one of each of them and so when I open one it will be for the last time. That's a great shame because I enjoy Japanese whisky but the replacement prices are ridiculous. We all know the reasons why; Shortage of stock; Too much demand etc, etc.. The truth is that companies like Suntory have never had a love affair with their whisky. They make more money selling Ribena and other well known household brands. They had years to expand production but chose to do nothing. Now their reputation is ruined by selling inferior non age statements for twice the price they ought to be. Many of the new brands don't even sell Japanese whisky at all. It's imported Scottish whisky which is bottled in Japan which has further eroded the reputation. However, there are still some good ones out there. I recently bought a bottle of the Nikka Coffey Malt which is so named because it's distilled in the column still designed by Aeneas Coffey. I think it's the only malt whisky made in this grain type way and it's a very decent whisky for anyone wanting a good Japanese whisky to try.
Japanese Wisky is extreme CHEAP ... IN JAPAN ... that is all, some importer make it as LUXARY ;-)) ... same as in asia, the chepest alkohol from Europe is luxary in Asia ;-))
Not anymore. It used to be - back in 2007, I was living in Osaka, and 18 year Yamazaki's were in every 7-11 for $20-30... now - even if you can find it - it's double or triple that. Ironically, imported whiskies into Japan are still relatively cheap, but they've clued into the fact that tourists want Japanese whiskies.
It's gotten so bad that there's reports of Japanese businessmen going to europe, and buying Japanese whiskies there in duty free to bring back home, because it's cheaper, or there's just no stock at home. This was really prevalent when a Yamazaki brandy-barrel-aged won best whisky for... 2013? 2014?
@@BehindtheBar for standard 12/18 year stuff that still holds true (not as cheap as it was ten years ago though) but for the rare runs or award winning batches, the price ramps up as hotels and boutique bars buy up stock. It's probably just easier to drinj Yamazaki Japanese Harmony and pretend it's the top shelf.
Great Video and great informations, nice style, nice voices!! Go on like that, but... NOT ALL japanese Whiskys are aged in Mizunara Wood, sorry but thats a wrong fact. 😎😎
@@BehindtheBar Ah "Nikka Whisky From The Barrel" is very very nice and a bit of a fave... I still have a lot of exploration to do re Japanese whiskey, most of it has been very enjoyable indeed!
Disingenuous is the right word! I’m absolutely not a Puritan with booze, as long as something is delicious and the person buying it knows exactly what they’re buying, I’m happy haha.
Unfortunately because of the popularity of Japanese whisky almost all the new brands that show up on the market are just re-labeled rice shochu or a cheap imported scotch blended and bottled in Japan. Not saying all of them are bad but most certainly not worth the money they priced it at riding on the actual Japanese whisky's. In short most of the entry level Japanese whisky's aren't worth it and the really good ones are priced so high its almost impossible to obtain.
True, we definitely discuss this- the blends are definitely not all bad, Ichiro’s Malt being the obvious one but also the Yamazakura we try here, but it’s definitely up to each individual if they can stomach the price tag!
everything here in Japan is more expensive because wages and taxes are high. i can get good imported scotch for half the price of the japanese "copy" version. and since suntory bought jim beam, great bourbon is the easiest and cheapest thing to buy. when i compare the price to the quality for japanese whiskey, i'm always kind of "meh". i really like how the guest called the japanese whiskeys "feminine". it's dead on.
OMG....first minute, WRONG information !!! No, Mizunara oak isn't use for ALL Japanese whiskies (incidentally, I was confirmed that by Nikka staff (to start with, and then by Dave Broom!), owner of single malt distilleries YOICHI & MIYAGIKYO, that they do not use Mizunara oak!), as it is a very fragile type of oak, linking a lot, so not used very much & so very expensive....Sure it is trendy these last years to use it, and even for some Scotch whisky finishes...(Chivas Regal Mizunara finish being one of them), it has also mostly been used by Suntory company (...). I'm also concerned by the fact that for that topic, you choosed (or your not enough informed guest, sorry, and maybe partial to some brands?) to show whiskies on your table that for most of them are NOT 100 % (or for some, like the Togouchi not at all) Japanese, which is a problem.... alas increased by the current very lose Japanese spirits regulations regarding whisky, which can be made of foreigh whiskies (most of these are indeed a combination of Scottish & Canadian whiskies, for instance) and just bottled in Japan, or finished in Japan....Sure the Akashi BW here might contain some White Oak distillery (Japan) single malt, the Kirin too, but not much I'm afraid...You would have been more sure to have a Japanese whisky on your table with Yoichi, Miyagikyo, Yamazaki, Hakushu, Chichibu single malts & Nikka Taketsuru blended malt, for instance....Even the big historical brands can have some foreign whisky content, as they own one or more Scottish distilleries (see my topic about Japan on my website for instance), but I consider they manage to keep some Japanese identity in some of them (...). I'm also sorry that even for reason of high pricing aren't also complete enough to give some perspective about this question (your guest also is wrong on the first time big success for Japanese whisky...it is in 2001...& he even never mentions Karuizawa....check out my topic again, don't wanna be too long here). I'll look now for part 2 if this is different...so sorry no thumbs up for this video but no thumbs down too because you relied on this on your guest (to blame, lol). Kampaï !
Hey Greg, some very fair points here. I think we did try and be up front about the fact that we were specifically presenting brands and distilleries that are lesser known (I.e. not Nikka, Suntory or Chichibu). As you noted, all of these guys also use world whiskies in their blends and again, I think that as long as brands are up front about that and the whisky is tasty I have no real problem with it. Interesting point on the Mizunara oak, I honestly didn’t even really notice that James said all Japanese whiskies use it- quite often when we’re doing these you get caught up in the story of it so I apologise if there was an inaccuracy. Have you tried whisky influenced by Mizunara? It was my first time and I really enjoyed the tea like tannin and structure it gave.
@@BehindtheBar Hi Cara, well I get your point, but many people who don't know about Japanese whisky at all might be misleaded by some statements made there, it's all I'm saying, especially from someone (your guest) who "appears" here as a specialist & who has a specialized in Japanese whisky club/society...Yes I've tried Mizunara oak aged or finished whiskies (got some within my 33 Japanese whiskies bottles in my collection) & around 150 Japanese whiskies within the 3700 whiskies or so tasted in 20 + years...but I've also talked a lot to producers, brand ambassadors, also sometimes to most master blenders from there, and several times with Dave Broom (well known whisky writer & Japanese whiskies expert). I agree with your notes about Mizunara oak, it can also be very close to some natural Japanese distilleries house style when using new oak, hogshead or American oak...especially (in my opinion) when there is a smoky element in it (from peated malt). I've tasted Yamazaki Mizunara Wood, Hanyu 19 yo IB with red oak heads (this one in my collection) & the Hibiki range using some Mizunara oak as well, plus some western attemps to integrate it into some limited editions (Glendalough 13 yo from Ireland, Bowmore or Chivas Regal ones too, etc...Not all are convincing, and many are for me overpriced, even if there is a much higher coast to use these casks than even Sherry ones...Cheers !
@@BehindtheBar I mean, having preferences isn't misogynistic? Can't help what we are attracted to. Although "passing" strangers is weird.. Judging on the comments, you're fine!
TimmehTRP the misogyny comes from feeling the need to comment on my appearance at all here. This channel is all about my knowledge of bar and booze. If you can find any similar examples of this kind of comment on male TH-cam bartending channels I’d love to hear it. It just gets a little exhausting.
Even at two years old, this is still one of the clearest explanations of the Japanese whisky market and styles. Thanks!
This was honestly the most informative Japanese whiskey video I’ve ever seen, you guys are doing amazing work with the channel!!
This page needs more recognition
Thank you! We’re working on it...haha
I agree. The fountain of knowledge with a Scottish accent is about perfect.
Love Japanese whiskey! Yamasaki and Hibiki being my favorites. Great video Cara!
that nikka from the barrel is the business.
brilliant whisky, just so damn expensive.
Just stumbled upon this channel, love it already! I am quite fond of the Nikka whiskies, I've visited the distillery up in Hokaido, tasting was ... free! A great experience, you only have to go there...
Behind the Bar videos are excellent...thorough, knowledgeable, easy to understand and I am wanting to try the final product.......
Thanks Larry, that’s so nice to hear! Cheers 😊
When I was stationed in Japan in the early 80s, Suntory whisky turned me from hard liquor to beer. Times have certainly changed; I love it now
I saw Nikka whisky here for the first time about 12 years ago. I got intrigued and bought a bottle. I absolutely love them. They are my favourite type of whisky right after smokey islay single malt.
Wasn't a movie star or a famous author in my case. I lucked into a tasting at a liquor store. They offered me a drink of Nikka Yoichi NAS. Probably would have never ever found out otherwise how great it is. Now I drink the three core Nikka NAS's and can't wait to discover more good ones from Japan! Learning about Japan and its whisky is enjoyable too. Nice review, thanks and cheers!
Excellent episode!
There's a good Japanese bar/restaurant in Sydney called Tokyo Bird and my friend had a going away party there, we got tired of beer so we started ordering whisky and at the end of the night I had run a bill of $300 and that was about 6 glasses, I'm not normally a whisky guy but something about them just compelled me to drink more.
Well if you enjoyed that’s the main thing!
@@BehindtheBar I did enjoy it but it threw my budget out for the week lol.
Great Info. Thanks!
Saw one of your videos first pop up on my feed a few days ago and I subscribed. Now, quite a few of your videos are in my feed. After a couple days you're up from 8k to 10k. Damn the algorithm loves you rn
Yup it’s pretty crazy! Thank you so much for the support 😊 glad to have you on board!
Went out for lunch today at our "local" whisky bar after watching this. First cab off the rank was a Nikka Pure Malt :D I would not have even looked at it if not for this video (after a couple of others (I wasn't driving) murdered my taste buds with an Octomore lol)
So thanks again for making information on these drinks accessible and entertaining
There is a Japanese restaurant that I went to a couple of years ago and a few times since. When I ordered the whisky, the bartender couldn't help pouring flights for me. I got to taste a whole range. They were very interesting. I had a lot of questions and he kept pouring more. My point is that if you ask a lot of questions, they are very eager to promote them. Very educational.
Absolutely, sounds like a great bartender and experience!
Where was this restaurant? Asking for a friend..
@@gerbie42 King Shabu Shabu. There are two in CA and one in IL.
just stumbled on this channel and I Love it.
Thanks Dred!
Great review educational video
i just like the presentation. not spending too deep for it.. hibiki bottle for example.. i love it.
Thanks for another great video, Is it possible to do a vid on the Islay peaty Scotches?
Will definitely put it on the list!
@@BehindtheBar thank you🥃
I must say, I would never have described Commodore Perry as "a sailor who brought spirits to Japan"
Very helpfull info 🙌
I have NO clue how I ended up here, but #1 I love the ladies voice, accent and face #2 I don’t drink much, but found this fascinating #3 Yep, subscribed #4 Not sure why, witchcraft? #5 Thank you 😊 Lee, UK 🇬🇧
Haha I did have another commenter describe me as a fallen angel, which is not too far from a witch 😈 thanks for the kind words!
Behind the Bar ooooo look at you show off! Hehe, just kiddin 😊 Well that was probably a nicer comment than mine, I’m just straight to the point... “I like your voice, your accent and I most definitely love your face”. God damn it, what am I doing flirting with a lady who’s thousands of miles away 😂😂 Anyway, I hope the rest of your week is awesome. Lee Uk 🇬🇧
Love Yamazaki!!! My favorite whiskey in the world!!!!
What's the Becquerel additive percentage you get with Japanese whisky since their reactor meltdown
Ah gone are the days when I could get a hibiki 17 for 60-80 bucks
Those Halcyon Days!
Here in Portland ME, there were two places where you could at least get a pour, but now? Not so much as a drop to be had for love nor money. But if I wanted a bottle, it was a drive down to Boston or, if I was very lucky, the state liquor stores in New Hampshire would get a shipment.
Much as I love it here, the local distilleries in Maine are just.... Lacking.
Now you can get hibiki japanese harmony for around 80 bucks
Japanese Whisky sounds pretty amazing!
The reason Japanese whisky is soo expensive is due to the lack of supply and increase in demand . As Japan in the 80s had halted production of whisky in favour of producing sake as it was cheap and it was the flavour of month for quite a long period of time. During this time a number of whisky distillery had closed e.g. Chichibu/Hanyu distillery and Karuizawa Distillery.
These whisky now fetch over few thousands dollars especially the Hanyu collection and the rarer Karuizawa bottles. But the good news is you can still taste the Chichibu whisky as Ichiro Akuto bought the remaining 400 casks from the distillery to make Ichiro’s Malt. They’re relatively affordable in Japan ranging from ¥10,000 to ¥15,000 or in AUD $150-$200.
Now the thing which I really dislike in this video is showing FAKE Japanese whisky. Which is rebranded imported scotch. Here is an infographic of fake Japanese whiskies that you can check out before you get ripped off.
www.nomunication.jp/2018/07/06/infographic-japanese-whisky-real-or-fake/
Here are a name of a few fake Japanese whiskies you should be aware of:
Kurayoshi
Yamazukura excluding their new born expression which is distilled in Japan
Shinobu
Helios
Toguchi
Hey pal! It’s a really interesting discussion, and something we’re very up front about in this discussion! I absolutely love Ichiro’s Malt but it also has portions of Scotch and Canadian whisky in the Malt and Grain, and Nikka use whisky from the Ben Nevis distillery in their blends as well. My point is the whisky still has to be tasty to justify the price tag!
Yamazakuri is also an interesting one- they’re of the same era as Nikka/Suntory but lost their stock due to the Fukushima disaster so you can totally understand their using other whiskies to try and get themselves back on the map while they distill and lay down whisky, and it’s actually very tasty.
Behind the Bar definitely, there are some of these whiskies that are branding themselves as Japanese made when they’re not. But Ichiro does state that it’s a world blend on their bottling. You can still purchase affordable Japanese whisky that are also aged for example Moonglow Whisky 10 year that is affordable. the price we pay in our respective regions the sellers mark it up. When you purchase in Japan it’s a fraction of what we are paying for. A Moonglow 10 year for example is $400 AUD, whereas buying in Japan is only ¥9000 ($100AUD). Or the samurai edition of a Nikka Whisky sold on AU for $500. When buy it at the airport is ¥4000 or $50 AUD.
Behind the Bar yep - but the large brand does market their whiskies as world blends and not lie about where the dram comes from. But hopefully the legislation comes in soon in Japan to stop the fake Japanese whiskies. There’s also loose regulations governing whisky which permits blends of imported and domestic whisky to be sold as being 'Japanese', and allows 'whisky' to be used as a term for a spirit made with as little as 10% whisky blended with any neutral spirit.
Ed Li absolutely, I don’t think any of the brands we show here actively hide the fact they’re not 100% Japanese (and their Aussie importers definitely don’t), but it would be good to have to have it on the bottle. It’ll be really interesting to see what happens if and when regulations tighten up, I almost wonder if they’ll push it back until enough distilleries have enough of their own whisky to keep the industry going (but maybe I’m being cynical haha).
Very cool information!
Thanks pal, I learnt a fair bit in this one as well!
I have a hibiki 17 .
Any takers?
These two have mad chemistry, weird tension for days.
AO is a great drop!👍
Oh the price of Japanese whiskey, it breaks my heart. Been everywhere and it still sets your wallet on fire D': Another excellent video!
‘Sets your wallet on fire’ is an excellent way to put it haha. It’s certainly not cheap- there’s just not as much whisky coming out of Japan and the demand is so high the price will most likely stay like this for a while unfortunately.
Suntory is nice and not too expensive.
To reply to the title of this video, and, as a long time foreign resident of Japan, I can assure you that EVERYTHING in Japan is expensive and overpriced. To the average Japanese, this indicates best quality regardless of your personal taste.
I’ve been to Japan numerous times, I believe it’s relatively cheap compared to prices in Australia. Whisky is quite cheap in Japan you can buy really good scotch for under $100, a glenmorangie was like ¥4000 ($55 AUD) or a Nikka Taketsuru Renewal for ¥2600 ($35 AUD) compared Australian prices of $125 for Nikka and $100 for Glenmorangie
@@Ethereal1 That is probably and expression of the high alcohol tax in Australia. Just like Norway incredibly high alcohol taxes has , Australia apparently has the 4th highest alcohol tax in the world (AUS $2.23 pltr (shoot!) Ger $0.12, USA $0.28 ..)
Watches from the high-end brand Grand Seiko are cheaper in Japan than anywhere else
Very interesting
I have a bottle of Nikka Gold & Gold Samurai Edition and while the bottle is amazing (and will never leave my bar shelf), I much prefer a Laphroaig at a quarter the price.
Totally fair enough pal!
Nikka Gold is a low-quality line in Japan. Why they put it in cool bottles I don't understand. I guess it's the only way they can convince people to buy it.
New sub, loving these vids! Learning all things booze, keep up the good work!
I used to live in Japan, and I feel like the Japanese don't export too much of their cheapest whiskies. Whilst living there, of course, I experienced some great Japanese whiskies, but I've also had cheap and mediocre whisky there too such as Nikka Black and Suntory Tory's. Although, I've just looked them up and you can get them here in the UK, but they seem to sell for at least £30 for a 70CL bottle. These are literally about £7/8 or so a bottle in Japan, and are bottom shelf, sitting alongside the cheapest scotches and bourbons.
True. We’re starting to see some of that come in to Australia (Nikka Super etc) but it’s still very expensive by the time it’s imported and taxed.
That sounds pretty interesting. I looked up some prices at my local store and you're not kidding. If I didn't already have six partial bottles of scotch, maybe I would buy some.
Nikka From The Barrel is still fairly widely available and around the $100 mark (so as good as it gets really haha), I’d consider that a great starting point if your Scotch bottles get dangerously low...
Japanese whiskeys are like truffle. Are they really good?- yes. Is it really worth your money?- Hell no.
Although if you want to set your wallet on fire for that sip you should go for it😜.
Avirag Vishwas or at least what you find in your average super market and the like for quality and price. If you have a hookup for either they are absolutely worth every cent!
Good video
Some very rare Japanese whiskey maybe. But that's the problem with every other brand. In my local stores half of Japanese bottles go for almost low shelf prices, the rest are no more expensive than Lagavulin 16, and I think 60 EUR for a bottle of good scotch is fair enough. With some rare exceptions obviously, like limited edition or something special. Ofc some stores throw 20 EUR on top of the original price, but I stay away from them, unless there's no other place to get what I want. And in Japan the prices are also fairly low. So it might have something to do with delivery and taxes in your country, rather than with whiskey itself.
Pretty informative video, thank you for putting it out. I noticed a few inaccuracies but I still appreciated learning about the mizunara oak casks. By the way, and this shouldn't be too shocking, Japanese whiskey is way cheaper in Japan. Export/import tariffs and alcohol taxes definitely play a role in the high price. A friend gave me a bottle of Miyagikyo which retails for ~$25 USD in Japan and I've seen it in US liquor stores for as much as $150.
I can confirm. Most Japanese whiskey here in Scandinavia are 20-70EUR which is totally fair in my opinion, unless the store is trying to score some extra cash on top. In Japan for example I bought Nikka from the barrel for equivalent of $40 3 years ago from 7/11. Bet it's way cheaper in a specialized store. So it's definitely taxes, delivery and your local store also needs a profit.
I maybe late to the party, but let me give you a Japanese perspective. The biggest reasons the Japanese whiskies are expensive, not mentioned in the video, are the limited supply due to the sudden increase in demand. There was a TV series on the life of Taketsuru in 2013, which sharply increased the demand for Nikka and Suntory whiskies, both of which Taketsuru was involved. This coincided with the sudden increase of Chinese tourists, who will buy anything Japanese left and right. Both Nikka and Suntory were not prepared for this sudden surge of demand for their whiskies, so their malt reserves are pretty much depleted. Until then, I always picked up a few bottles of Taketsuru 17 years for under US$30 at duty free shops, but you don’t find any Japanese whiskies at Japanese airport duty free shops any more. There used to be a Taketsuru 12 years, which a lot of people said were good value, but they had to discontinue it as they used up their malt reserves. I am happy with other alternatives, so I will revisit the Japanese whiskies when the prices become more reasonable again some time in the future.
Absolutely that’s what happened, but I guess what’s interesting is that the drying up of age statements pushed the price up of everything from Japan, so even blends that are not all Japanese whiskies command much higher prices- in Australia, something like Monkey Shoulder which is a blended 100% malt sits at about half the price of a Japanese whisky which is a blend (malt and grain) where some of the whisky was made outside of Japan. Scotch is having a similar issue with age statements and those are getting more expensive, but it’s not driving the price of everything up (yet!).
Behind the Bar Hopefully vodka and gin become spirits of choice for many, and people forget about whiskies for several years. That way some of the less honest practices get weeded out, and I may be able to pick up some good Japanese whiskies at duty free shops on my way back from Japan.
John Smith Call me cynical but I reckon it will get tightened up as soon as enough Japanese distilleries have their own stock of whisky to sell, and not a moment before haha. As it is, all we can do at the moment is decide how much you’re happy to spend and enjoy it!
I don't know how i stumbled across your video, but now i am binge watching all the whiskey videos learning so much..thank you..hope to meet you in person some day
Why didn't they drink the Japanese whiskey they were talking about and give us some opinions as to how they tasted?
That wasn't the point of the video, there are plenty of other great tasting vids out there. I thought this was pretty thorough and informative
I think you've got it wrong! The reason why they didn't taste test the whiskey is because it's too fucking expensive for just a review and they were saving it for more important things like selling it to customers willing to pay for it. For me, if your gonna do a whiskey review, you have to taste test it so you can give the viewers an idea about how it tastes. Thanks for your comment though.@@simonjupiter
@@johnnyzig I think you've got it wrong! Where are you getting the impression that this is a "whiskey review"? The title of the video is pretty explicit that this will be a discussion about the cost and recent popularity in Japanese whiskey. There are entire channels dedicated to whiskey reviews--Behind the Bar is not one of them.
It’s expensive because it’s very good
You can buy scotch as good as japanese for almost half the price, and japanese whisky is based on scotch traditions not vice versa.
Yurius I
The variety of scotch is indeed vast and many are affordable top notch for the money , but there is a word I attach to Japanese scotch it’s clarity . It’s bloody good whiskey I must say
@@prezo2677 actually, if you have any favourites let me know, maybe I will have another look to them.
Something about 100 dollars.
Yurius I
I’ve had a cpl they were yamazaki and the other was hibiki both were lovely , I am sure ms devine would have more to say on the matter on what’s the better whiskey, apparently Japanese whiskies are becoming more expensive than ever before
Correction-Matthew Perry or any other foreigner did not introduce distillation to Japan. While Japanese whiskey (and wine) weren’t a thing until the late 19c/early 20c, Japan had long used distillation to make shochu and awamori.
Totally fair point pal!
Very informative~!!! Japanese whisky is too expensive though. There are so many good whisky in the world with that high price of Japanese whisky. I think. :)
That’s a totally reasonable opinion! One thing to bear in mind is that (with a couple of notable exceptions) Japanese distilleries are much smaller scale than a lot of the big Scottish ones- same with most emerging markets (like Australia!). It’s hard to keep costs down without economy of scale. Not that I ever discourage people from drinking Scotch haha, but just a good thing to bear in mind when looking at prices 😊
marketing strategy... it's always on par or slight higher priced in japan locally as well....
even the blended whiskies that are composed of imported Scotch whisky liquids, the local prices are comparatively higher than their imported counterparts.
so oddly, when in japan, it's prudent to drink Scotch as you'll get more bang for your buck.
i buy Scotch whisky or old Cognac when visiting japan as the prices there are very attractive.
and buy at local liquor store as they are more often cheaper than the duty free shops at the airport.
Scottish Single Malt Whisky still reigns supreme...
Before 2015 back in NE I could get Yamazaki 12/18 for ~100/180 US a bottle, noticed the 18 yr old a week ago in a North Hollywood liquor store at 999.- (plus tax). Pass, I'll stick to very reasonably priced Speyside blends
It's only high because people are paying the price. If no one buys it then the price will drop or be non existent. Life goes on
Yup! True of all things haha
Most of the cost in import, like if you were in Japan say Jameson would be expensive compared to the local whisky, like here Jameson is cheaper and the imports (Japanese whisky) is more expensive. But drink whiskey it's good.
I'm lucky enough to have a number of quality age statement Japanese whiskys in the stash for a rainy day. Unfortunately I only have one of each of them and so when I open one it will be for the last time. That's a great shame because I enjoy Japanese whisky but the replacement prices are ridiculous. We all know the reasons why; Shortage of stock; Too much demand etc, etc.. The truth is that companies like Suntory have never had a love affair with their whisky. They make more money selling Ribena and other well known household brands. They had years to expand production but chose to do nothing. Now their reputation is ruined by selling inferior non age statements for twice the price they ought to be. Many of the new brands don't even sell Japanese whisky at all. It's imported Scottish whisky which is bottled in Japan which has further eroded the reputation. However, there are still some good ones out there. I recently bought a bottle of the Nikka Coffey Malt which is so named because it's distilled in the column still designed by Aeneas Coffey. I think it's the only malt whisky made in this grain type way and it's a very decent whisky for anyone wanting a good Japanese whisky to try.
Japanese Wisky is extreme CHEAP ... IN JAPAN ... that is all, some importer make it as LUXARY ;-)) ... same as in asia, the chepest alkohol from Europe is luxary in Asia ;-))
Not anymore. It used to be - back in 2007, I was living in Osaka, and 18 year Yamazaki's were in every 7-11 for $20-30... now - even if you can find it - it's double or triple that. Ironically, imported whiskies into Japan are still relatively cheap, but they've clued into the fact that tourists want Japanese whiskies.
A very small percentage of Japanese whisky is aged in Mizunara casks
You’re right pal, I think James was actually speaking about those specific whiskies he pointed to (Shinobu) but it certainly isn’t clear- apologies!
It's gotten so bad that there's reports of Japanese businessmen going to europe, and buying Japanese whiskies there in duty free to bring back home, because it's cheaper, or there's just no stock at home. This was really prevalent when a Yamazaki brandy-barrel-aged won best whisky for... 2013? 2014?
Interesting, I always thought it was still a bit cheaper in the domestic market!
@@BehindtheBar for standard 12/18 year stuff that still holds true (not as cheap as it was ten years ago though) but for the rare runs or award winning batches, the price ramps up as hotels and boutique bars buy up stock. It's probably just easier to drinj Yamazaki Japanese Harmony and pretend it's the top shelf.
Great Video and great informations, nice style, nice voices!! Go on like that, but... NOT ALL japanese Whiskys are aged in Mizunara Wood, sorry but thats a wrong fact. 😎😎
Fair call pal, we’ll have to clarify that one!
That's right. Mizunara is expensive and used sparingly in a few expressions. Most ageing is done in good old fashioned ex-bourbon barrels.
Ah the oak (mizunara) most interesting! I didn't know that till today, as the Japanese say Domo arigato! "So now I know!"
Yeah, once James pointed it out to me it’s really easy to get the distinctive flavour! Do you have any favourite Japanese whiskies?
@@BehindtheBar Ah "Nikka Whisky From The Barrel" is very very nice and a bit of a fave... I still have a lot of exploration to do re Japanese whiskey, most of it has been very enjoyable indeed!
Nikka FTB is definitely a great place to start, and not too hard on the pocket either 😊
If you can get two or more bottles of good quality Scotch instead of one bottle of *insert brand here* , it's too expensive.
Yamazaki whiskey is very good too bad it is under suntory.
Great video. I like your take on disingenuous distilleries. Exactly what I think.
Disingenuous is the right word! I’m absolutely not a Puritan with booze, as long as something is delicious and the person buying it knows exactly what they’re buying, I’m happy haha.
all the Japanese whiskies are aged in mizunara cask....what a bollock
Unfortunately because of the popularity of Japanese whisky almost all the new brands that show up on the market are just re-labeled rice shochu or a cheap imported scotch blended and bottled in Japan. Not saying all of them are bad but most certainly not worth the money they priced it at riding on the actual Japanese whisky's. In short most of the entry level Japanese whisky's aren't worth it and the really good ones are priced so high its almost impossible to obtain.
True, we definitely discuss this- the blends are definitely not all bad, Ichiro’s Malt being the obvious one but also the Yamazakura we try here, but it’s definitely up to each individual if they can stomach the price tag!
daAnder71 ?
I drink under age is that good?
I definitely can’t condone it haha
Only if you eat hot dogs with a dram
what's that on her nose?
A nose ring, have you not seen one before?
Thumbs up if youre watching this drunk on Japanese whiskey
I wouldn’t say that was comprehensive- didn’t even cover whatever ‘pure malt’ is supposed to mean
More info on whisky terms (including pure malt) here:
th-cam.com/video/L8ssufXvzHs/w-d-xo.html
everything here in Japan is more expensive because wages and taxes are high. i can get good imported scotch for half the price of the japanese "copy" version. and since suntory bought jim beam, great bourbon is the easiest and cheapest thing to buy. when i compare the price to the quality for japanese whiskey, i'm always kind of "meh".
i really like how the guest called the japanese whiskeys "feminine". it's dead on.
Japanese whisky is far too expensive for my budget.12 year old Japanese single malt is £150.
A "feminine" Scotch?! This guy just lost all credibility! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
OMG....first minute, WRONG information !!! No, Mizunara oak isn't use for ALL Japanese whiskies (incidentally, I was confirmed that by Nikka staff (to start with, and then by Dave Broom!), owner of single malt distilleries YOICHI & MIYAGIKYO, that they do not use Mizunara oak!), as it is a very fragile type of oak, linking a lot, so not used very much & so very expensive....Sure it is trendy these last years to use it, and even for some Scotch whisky finishes...(Chivas Regal Mizunara finish being one of them), it has also mostly been used by Suntory company (...).
I'm also concerned by the fact that for that topic, you choosed (or your not enough informed guest, sorry, and maybe partial to some brands?) to show whiskies on your table that for most of them are NOT 100 % (or for some, like the Togouchi not at all) Japanese, which is a problem.... alas increased by the current very lose Japanese spirits regulations regarding whisky, which can be made of foreigh whiskies (most of these are indeed a combination of Scottish & Canadian whiskies, for instance) and just bottled in Japan, or finished in Japan....Sure the Akashi BW here might contain some White Oak distillery (Japan) single malt, the Kirin too, but not much I'm afraid...You would have been more sure to have a Japanese whisky on your table with Yoichi, Miyagikyo, Yamazaki, Hakushu, Chichibu single malts & Nikka Taketsuru blended malt, for instance....Even the big historical brands can have some foreign whisky content, as they own one or more Scottish distilleries (see my topic about Japan on my website for instance), but I consider they manage to keep some Japanese identity in some of them (...). I'm also sorry that even for reason of high pricing aren't also complete enough to give some perspective about this question (your guest also is wrong on the first time big success for Japanese whisky...it is in 2001...& he even never mentions Karuizawa....check out my topic again, don't wanna be too long here). I'll look now for part 2 if this is different...so sorry no thumbs up for this video but no thumbs down too because you relied on this on your guest (to blame, lol). Kampaï !
Hey Greg, some very fair points here. I think we did try and be up front about the fact that we were specifically presenting brands and distilleries that are lesser known (I.e. not Nikka, Suntory or Chichibu). As you noted, all of these guys also use world whiskies in their blends and again, I think that as long as brands are up front about that and the whisky is tasty I have no real problem with it. Interesting point on the Mizunara oak, I honestly didn’t even really notice that James said all Japanese whiskies use it- quite often when we’re doing these you get caught up in the story of it so I apologise if there was an inaccuracy. Have you tried whisky influenced by Mizunara? It was my first time and I really enjoyed the tea like tannin and structure it gave.
@@BehindtheBar Hi Cara, well I get your point, but many people who don't know about Japanese whisky at all might be misleaded by some statements made there, it's all I'm saying, especially from someone (your guest) who "appears" here as a specialist & who has a specialized in Japanese whisky club/society...Yes I've tried Mizunara oak aged or finished whiskies (got some within my 33 Japanese whiskies bottles in my collection) & around 150 Japanese whiskies within the 3700 whiskies or so tasted in 20 + years...but I've also talked a lot to producers, brand ambassadors, also sometimes to most master blenders from there, and several times with Dave Broom (well known whisky writer & Japanese whiskies expert). I agree with your notes about Mizunara oak, it can also be very close to some natural Japanese distilleries house style when using new oak, hogshead or American oak...especially (in my opinion) when there is a smoky element in it (from peated malt). I've tasted Yamazaki Mizunara Wood, Hanyu 19 yo IB with red oak heads (this one in my collection) & the Hibiki range using some Mizunara oak as well, plus some western attemps to integrate it into some limited editions (Glendalough 13 yo from Ireland, Bowmore or Chivas Regal ones too, etc...Not all are convincing, and many are for me overpriced, even if there is a much higher coast to use these casks than even Sherry ones...Cheers !
Greg, you need to chill.
Because they know they can get their price because there are so many people out there who are stupid enough to pay it.
Japan is a step up from Scotland
I’m not sure I’m ready to go that far yet...haha
If he puts one finger on her, there'll be a hundred indictments. Seroiusly, this is just another hype at xmastime, for booze.
Are you lonely?
You're an eye candy.
Tats and a piercing? Pass
Outdated and misogynistic viewpoint? Hard pass.
@@BehindtheBar I mean, having preferences isn't misogynistic? Can't help what we are attracted to. Although "passing" strangers is weird.. Judging on the comments, you're fine!
TimmehTRP the misogyny comes from feeling the need to comment on my appearance at all here. This channel is all about my knowledge of bar and booze. If you can find any similar examples of this kind of comment on male TH-cam bartending channels I’d love to hear it. It just gets a little exhausting.
@@TimmehTRP it's 10000000% misogynistic to comment on a professional's appearance on a video where she doesn't at all draw attention to her looks.
Asshat comment, yum yum.