The Five Best 12 Year Old Japanese Whiskies 10 New Products Worth Knowing About from CES 2017, Part I The Affordable Dive Watch That's Perfect for Summer Save on a Filson Shirt, Climbing Rope & More How to Make Your Online Password Ironclad How to Make The Granddaddy of All Cocktails Last week hummus and yoga were “in”, and while they’re not out yet, there’s a new top dog in Popularville: Japanese Whisky. Notice the spelling — that’s whisky with a -y, like Scotch whisky, not whiskey with an -ey, the spelling used for U.S. and Irish varietals. The spelling harkens to Japanese whisky’s humble beginnings, which revolve around the Narcissus and Goldmund-like stories of two men. The first, Shinjiro Torii, was a pharmaceutical wholesaler who dreamed of making a distinctly Japanese whisky for the Japanese people. The second, Masataka Taketsuru, was an organic chemistry summer student at the University of Glasgow who learned the craft of whisky-making under the roofs of several Scottish distilleries.

When Taketsuru returned to Japan in the early 1920s, Torri hired him. Together, they produced Yamazaki, Japan’s first whisky, which was modeled after the Scottish single malt industry’s practice of distilling and blending under one roof. The Japanese whisky industry was born — and it’s since taken on a life of its own (for example, unlike Scottish distilleries, which often sell off their excess whisky stocks to blenders, Japanese distillers pride themselves on keeping their excess stocks for their own use).bifinett blender spare parts Today, Suntory (née Kotobukiya), Yamazaki’s parent company, leaves Taketsuru’s role in the birth of Japanese whisky off their website — in 1934, Taketsuru parted with Torii to found his own distillery, Dainippokaju, which later became Nikka, Suntory’s chief competitor. hamilton beach blender 51101r

Together, the two distilleries supply most of the global demand for Japanese whisky, a demand that, until recently, was fairly negligible. However, as a result of several recent victories over Scottish whiskies at blind tasting competitions, Japan’s best-kept secret escaped, and the world is eager to test the hype.oster blender bottom cap walmart Well, we did the grunt work for you, tasting five of Japan’s finest 12-year-old whiskies: Yamazaki, Hakushu, Nikka Taketsuru, Nikka Miyagikyo and Hibiki. kitchenaid khb1231cu 2-speed immersion blender reviewsDrink them how you like them, but note that the Japanese typically add a dash (or a lot) of water. cuisinart bfp-10ch powerblend duet blender and food processor chrome and black by cuisinart

Follow along as we profile each one below. The Sweetest: The first seriously marketed whisky from the distillery that started it all: Yamazaki 12-year-old. This is the classic, and for good reason. For what you’re getting, it’s reasonably priced. On the nose, one gets hints of zest and honey, and the palate, smooth and sweet, brings flavors of citrus with some vanilla oakiness. vitamix cia professional series platinum 64 ounce blenderIf you have a snobbish friend who insists on Scotch, a glass of Yamazaki should be the first class in a course of conversion to the Japanese path.ninja blender bl660 vs nj600 The Smokiest: Hakushu, Suntory’s third American release, comes in a green bottle (a rarity among most clear-bottled Japanese whiskies) that hints at its “green” flavor profile: leaves and fruits, particularly pear.

Marketed as the “fresh” whisky, Hakushu 12-year-old comes from the forests at the base of the Southern Japanese Alps. However, you’d be forgiven (by us, at least) if you mistake this for an Islay malt. The use of peated barley, imported from Scotland, gives the whisky a smoky nose that suggests seaside origins; then you taste the delicate whisky, and find yourself transported to the forests of Japan. The Most Surprising: When we first poured this whisky, it released little in the way of aroma. Disappointed, we put it to the side. Imagine our surprise when, ten minutes later, a second sniff yielded heavy doses of toffee and caramel. The taste — full of strong, sweet vanilla — mimicked the nose’s form: slow to build, but impressive at its peak. The Smoothest: Interestingly, this is a vatted (a blend of single malts) versus blended whisky, brought over to the United States for the first time just last year. It combines 12-year-old malts from Nikka’s Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries.

The darkest of the five whiskies (though still light, as far as whiskies go), the Taketsuru wowed our tasters with its even balance and smooth finish. On the nose, we got hints of vanilla, apple and cinnamon (apple pie, anyone?). However, honey dominated the palate — so much so, in fact, that we felt like we were drinking straight from a honeycomb. The Sexiest Bottle: Housed in a distinct, multi-faceted, corked (!) bottle, this Suntory whisky looks like something pulled from Don Draper’s personal bar. Although the smell hints a bit too closely at Sharpie for us to wax poetic, the Hibiki gains points for using whisky aged in Mizunara, a rare Japanese oak, as well as casks formerly used to hold Japanese plum liqueur. Like the Nikka Miyagikyo, the Hibiki is rich and thick, bordering on syrupy. The taste mirrors the honey and vanilla of other offerings, but with an oily texture and small notes of fruit.I had heard about Teacher's Highland Cream as being an excellent blended scotch for years.

Websites devoted to scotch had many threads with extensive discussions of this blended scotch. Personally, I was always skeptical mainly for two reasons. It's not expensive at all. Secondly, its a blend. I would think to myself, "how can a blend be very good?"  So, I bought a bottle. And what a bottle it was. Single large ice cube (also very enjoyable with a drop or two of distilled water). Scent of dulse, seaweed and salt air wafting up. I visualize standing at a cliff face on a windy, overcast day in Scotland. The taste is sea salt, smoke, very faint peat and iodine with a bacon/malt backbone.  This is a heavy scotch in the mouth, and many enjoy rolling it around a bit before swallowing.  Anise, black licorice and lots of malt round this blend out. Lingering sea salt, dulse, malt and a faint echo of peat.  Teachers is a complex dram that offers a lot of different flavours to consider.  It will really grow on you as you become more acquainted with it.  If you are new to scotch drinking and enjoy a dram and wanting to avoid peat monsters, well try drinking this with an ice cube or two.  

As the ice melts, it mellows out the drink and by the time you finish you will be very satisfied.  Teachers has been around for over 100 yrs and is in the top five best selling blends in the world. I can see why. Teachers can be distinguished from other scotches because of its unusually high single malt content that runs a minimum of 45% of the content. Scotch blends are a combination of grain and malt whisky.  The latter contributes flavour while the former softens a flavour that otherwise would be very rough and biting on the palate. Accordingly, more flavour if you have more malt content. Teachers has a rich flavour and grain whiskeys that soften it sufficiently such that it doesnt have the cheap bite that some whiskeys often have. Another great point to consider is price.  I have drank many more expensive blends and single malts that cannot hold a candle to a tumbler of Teachers. So, don't be put off by the low price.  Part of the reason the price is reasonable is because the whisky's core is comprised of two single malts (Ardmore and Glendronach) that by themselves are not particularly popular on their own, (hence most production is for this blend) but when blended in this bottling produce a very popular flavour profile at an affordable price point.