Japanese Whisky

by **jezzap** » Thu Jan 04, 2001 6:54 pm

Does anyone know where I can get hold of Japanese whisky from in the UK? I'm particularly interested in the Nikka Yoichi 10-year-old that was reviewed in last month's Whisky Magazine.

I've tried my local off-licenses in Bath, but all gave me blank looks!

by **Deactivated Member** » Thu Jan 04, 2001 7:23 pm

Jezzap,

It's a good question. I belive the largest stockists of Japanese whiskies in the UK are Vintage Hallmark of St James', London. I am not sure if they do mail order but here is their telephone number 020 7408 1999.

Happy hunting!!

Kind regards,

David Stirk

by **Deactivated Member** » Fri Jan 05, 2001 9:31 pm

They actually do mailorder. Visit http://www.hallmarkofstjames.com/Price/stock.htm

Regards/M

by **archstanton** » Wed Feb 07, 2001 7:30 pm

You can buy cask strength Nikka Yoichi from the english language site at www.nikka.com it costs £40 and I believe is distributed by Ben Nevis.
Cheers

by **exil** » Thu Mar 08, 2001 12:37 pm

But are Japanese whiskies worth buying? What do they taste like when compared to SMS?

J.

by **jezzap** » Thu Mar 08, 2001 1:06 pm

Of course Japanese Whiskies are worth buying, otherwise I wouldn't have asked the question!

Very strange to try and compare them on a 'good and bad' scale with SMs. It's all about taste, and the variety itself makes the purchase of whiskies worthwhile, even if you find you don't particularly like them.

If I were to compare all whiskies and then only consider the one I liked best as being 'worth buying', I'd spend my whole life with just a bottle of Highland Park in the cabinet. How very dull.

Open your mind, is my answer. The one Japanese whisky I have so far (a Suntory 12-year-old vatted malt) is not my favourite, but it's very different from most of the SMs I've got. I also prefer it to to a number of them, such as Jura, Old Fettercairn and Bunahaibhan. My collection would be poorer without it!

by **lexkraai** » Thu Mar 08, 2001 2:19 pm

Fully agree with your 'explore the variety of taste' reason for trying Japanese SM's, jezzap! Of the two I tried so far, the 12 y.o. Suntory 'Yamazaki' was not very special (to me, that is), but the 12 y.o. Yoichi is a wonderful peat monster and, for me, ranks among the great peaty Islays.

I don't know if/where you can get Yoichi 12 y.o. in the UK (it's said to be quite different from the 10 y.o. but I haven't tasted that one yet myself); a friend of mine brought a bottle of 12 y.o. back from Japan for me ...

Slainte, Lex

by **jezzap** » Thu Mar 08, 2001 3:05 pm

Hello Lex,

Good to see I'm not the only Japanese whisky dabbler!

Actually, I was a bit quick to respond to the last e-mail from Exil. Sorry Exil, I didn't read what you said properly. When it comes to comparing tastes with SMs, I'd struggle to relate my Suntory 12-Y-O to any particular region (as I say, it's a vatted malt, so no surprise there). To my taste, it's got a faint hint of liquorice. Not hugely smoky or peaty, though.

by **exil** » Thu Mar 08, 2001 6:56 pm

Apology accepted.

Perhaps my question seemed a little blunt, but I was in a hurry. Damn those lectures...

As I live in a region where Japanese whiskies are not locally available(meaning I would have to order them abroad, which would of course be a bit more expensive) and my budget is rather limited, it'd be helpful to know a bit more about the character of Japanese whiskies in general compared to SMS or Irish malt whiskies. I would expect them to be a bit lighter and less complex but that's just me.

And where inside European Union could one expect to find them? The Whisky Store and WhiskyNet did not have any Japanese whiskies, IIRC.

I tend to think I have an open mind and I do think every malt(at least malts I've sampled so far) is worth a try, but I'd hate to pay 50 euros for a bottle of Glen P...

J.

by **rymon** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 8:14 pm

Japanese Whiskies are excellent in my opinion... they carry some at Royal Mile Whiskies (website of the same name) and if you can track down Arther he's quite knowledgeable.

by **irishwhiskeychaser** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 9:33 pm

Japanesse Whiskey is as high quality as SMSW and as nice too :wink:

Well worth a go. Try the whiskey Exchange as they usually have a good selection.

http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/acatalog/The_Whisky_Exchange__JAPANESE_263.html

by **Deactivated Member** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 11:26 pm

Japanes Malts are the doggies bollocks, especially Yiochi, Yamazaki, Hakushu & Sendai (now re-named something beginning with Mi).

by **Deactivated Member** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 12:40 am

Eelbrook, somehow that description does not make me want to taste them!

by **Paul A Jellis** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 1:25 am

The Japanese whiskies that I tried at Whisky Live ended up in the bin, I tried them, but they are not for me.

And I thought I'd never throw away a free drink!!

Cheers

Paul