Blending is also a critical part of the process. Some distilleries are also using barrels made of native Japanese woods like hinoki, cedar, ume, and the popular mizunara (Japanese oak) for aging or finishing, which bring more classic Eastern flavors and aromas to their whiskies.

The newest generation of Japanese whiskies encompasses a broader spectrum of flavor profiles, and barrel aging is done in everything from virgin white oak to rum, pinot noir, Sherry, sake, umeshu (plum wine) bourbon, port and brandy casks. Taketsura went on to open Nikka Whiskey in 1934 which, today, is the second-largest Japanese whisky maker after the company he got off the ground, Suntory. The most distinctive hallmark of Japanese whisky for the better part of a century is the use of malted (germinated) barley, which may also be smoked over peat. Taketsura's background influenced the flavor profile of Japanese whisky for generations, as well as the spirit’s spelling (Japan is the only country that uses only the ‘y,’ outside of Scotland and Ireland everywhere else it’s whiskey). Japan’s whisky production began in earnest in 1923, with the establishment of Suntory’s Yamazaki Distillery, founded by Shinjiro Torii, who hired a Scottish-trained distiller named Masataka Taketsuru to run the whisky-making operation. “It’s about a reverence for everything from the raw ingredients and the process to the finished product,” says Christopher Gomez, beverage manager and sommelier at Sushi Noz, a Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant in New York. Japanese whisky production starts with the cultural ethos of kodawari, the uncompromising and relentless pursuit of perfection “reverence” is a term frequently employed by Western distillers and bar professionals. We Tried the Best Whiskey You’ve Never Heard Of Japanese Whisky 101

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