JAPANESE WHISKY RAISES STANDARDS

With the aim of getting rid of cheap counterfeits, the Japanese whisky industry plans to strictly define its standards.

Japanese whisky is known for being extremely expensive, but still, it seems to be fighting for its place among its cheaper counterparts even though it has become respected across the world.

Starting this month, Japanese whisky will be regulated by strict guidelines to ensure it’s authenticity. The industry has found that often beverages made in other countries are sold as Japanese whisky. It’s also been found that some of these beverages aren’t even whisky.

It’s believed there are around 100 whisky distilleries in Japan. The country started to gain recognition as a major whisky producer in the early 2000s with brands like Yamazaki and Yoichi by Nikka Whisky winning prestigious international awards, often winning against whiskeys from countries like Ireland and Scotland.

Demand for Japanese whisky has increased so much that producers now plan production decades in advance to cope with the high demand. Producers who stick to the guidelines and within the approved ingredients list as well as production techniques are fighting hard to keep the worldwide whisky industry’s respect.

Image credit: Decanter