Is there caramel coloring in Japanese Whisky?

[TMH]

Does anyone know whether or not Japanese distillers can or do add color to their whiskies? I've yet to find any mention of this and am very curoius to know. Any info would help. Thanks.

-TMH

For relaxing times....make it Suntory time.
-Lost in Translation

[irishwhiskeychaser]

I'm not 100% sure but I think that they take a very close line in the way they make their malts from Scotland. Therefore I assume that the use of carmel colouring would not be used in their malts. Blends are a different story though.

[Deactivated Member]

I'm not 100% sure but I think that they take a very close line in the way they make their malts from Scotland. Therefore I assume that the use of carmel colouring would not be used in their malts. Blends are a different story though.

If they follow Scttish practice slavishly, then they certainly would color most of their malts. The Scots do.

[Mr Ellen]

Yes, even the japanese use caramel to colour their whiskies. As taste tests don't help to detect whether caramel has been added or not, the easiest way to find out is to check out the bottles sold in, for example, Germany or Denmark.
Regulations in these countries require caramel to be stated on the label/bottle/package as it is considered an additive to the whisky.

In most alcoholic beverages, including whisky, E150a is used and it's added after the whisky has been adjusted to bottling strength but prior to filtration.
Caramel fades rather fast in the bottle and if you keep a whisky in which caramel has been added in a sunlit window, the colour will most likely be gone within a week.
Most of the distilleries that use caramel prevent colourfading by using very dark bottles.

Here are some other whisky distilleries that uses caramel, E150 to colour their whiskies:

Auchentoshan
Bowmore
Bunnahabhain
Cragganmore
Dalwhinnie
Glenfiddich
Glengoyne
Glenlivet
Highland Park
Isle Of Jura
Lagavulin
Oban
Strathisla
Talisker

Cheers...
______________________
Anders