Scotland loses out as Japanese whisky named best in the world

Links234

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/11204872/Scotland-loses-out-as-Japanese-whisky-named-best-in-the-world.html

The Scots are famous for their whisky, but will be licking their wounds this week after a Japanese single malt was named the best in the world. Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask 2013 was given the title by the 2015 World Whisky Bible, which is compiled by whisky expert Jim Murray. He praised the whisky as “near indescribable genius”, with a “nose of exquisite boldness” and a finish of “light, teasing spice”, giving it an impressive 97.5 marks out of 100.

So, for relaxing times...

Not really susprising though, I think Japan has been making some of the best whiskeys ever! Me and a friend drank our local out of the Nikka Coffee Grain whiskey a while back

Bonus, some pics of the distillery via reddit: http://imgur.com/a/Cm27A

osarusan

Taketsuru 17 Years has won the best blend in the world a couple of times in the last 5 or 6 years too I think.

I've a a full bottle on top of my dresser.

Lapin

Scotland can fight over having the best whisky in the world.

Ireland has the best whiskey though. We invented the stuff.

Everything else is just imitation.

Links234

osarusan wrote: »

Taketsuru 17 Years has won the best blend in the world a couple of times in the last 5 or 6 years too I think.

I've a a full bottle on top of my dresser.

Yup! http://www.nikkawhisky.eu/2014/03/taketsuru-17-years-worlds-best-blended-malt/

I've had the 12 year old, Nikka do some amazing stuff

osarusan

Links234 wrote: »

Yup! http://www.nikkawhisky.eu/2014/03/taketsuru-17-years-worlds-best-blended-malt/

I've had the 12 year old, Nikka do some amazing stuff

There's a serial/documentary series on Japanese TV at the the moment about Mrs Taketsuru - Mr Taketsuru went to Scotland to study whisky-making and came back with a Scottish wife, who apparently was a rock on which he was able to build his whisky business.

The Nikka stuff has been flying off the shelves since apparently.*



*But I was drinking it before it was cool.

Tabnabs

osarusan wrote: »

The Nikka stuff has been flying off the shelves since apparently.*



*But I was drinking it before it was cool.

I knew I'd strayed into a hipster thread! :mad:

Uncle Ruckus

Lapin wrote: »

Scotland can fight over having the best whisky in the world.

Ireland has the best whiskey though. We invented the stuff.

Everything else is just imitation.

Surprisingly it was the Babylonians ( present day Iraq) who invented it.

Links234

osarusan wrote: »

There's a serial/documentary series on Japanese TV at the the moment about Mrs Taketsuru - Mr Taketsuru went to Scotland to study whisky-making and came back with a Scottish wife, who apparently was a rock on which he was able to build his whisky business.

The Nikka stuff has been flying off the shelves since apparently.*



*But I was drinking it before it was cool.

That sounds fascinating, I wonder how long it'll be until someone youtubes it

I actually don't think I had any Nikka while I was over there, it wasn't until they started appearing in shops this side of the world, but my favourite has to be this little one!

Lapin

Uncle Ruckus wrote: »

Surprisingly it was the Babylonians ( present day Iraq) who invented it.

Bollox. My great grandfather used to make his own.

Dan_Solo

Hard liquor drinkers appear to have a fantastic long term memory... :-)

tailgunner

Lapin wrote: »

Bollox. My great grandfather used to make his own.

It was actually my old great-grandpappy who invented it, back in 4500 BC or thereabouts. Some time after the dinosaurs and before the water charges anyway.

Karl Stein

Tabnabs wrote: »

I knew I'd strayed into a hipster thread! :mad:

Nothing is safe.

Lapin

tailgunner wrote: »

It was actually my old great-grandpappy who invented it, back in 4500 BC or thereabouts. Some time after the dinosaurs and before the water charges anyway.

Ah, but could you buy his tack in the duty free shop at Baghdad Airport on a trip home from the Hanging Gardens?

anncoates

Links234 wrote: »

He praised the whisky as “near indescribable genius”, with a “nose of exquisite boldness” and a finish of “light, teasing spice”,

Craft beer blurb writers all over the country flee their desks weeping in jealousy.

Hoop66

I've tried a few Japanese malts, and they're very good. I'm a big fan of the very peaty Islay malts and AFAIK they don't really make any like that.

Lagavullin's profits are safe for a year or two yet.

osarusan

Hoop66 wrote: »

I've tried a few Japanese malts, and they're very good. I'm a big fan of the very peaty Islay malts and AFAIK they don't really make any like that.

Suntory's Hakushu might be what you're looking for - it's probably as close as Japanese whisky gets to being really peaty.

whiskeyman

osarusan wrote: »

Mr Taketsuru went to Scotland to study whisky-making and came back with a Scottish wife, who apparently was a rock

Those crazy Japs.

Hoop66

osarusan wrote: »

Suntory's Hakushu might be what you're looking for - it's probably as close as Japanese whisky gets to being really peaty.

I'll give it a go

cletus van damme

i really like whiskey.
It bothers me when people start saying irish, scotch, japanese is better or worse than the other.
It's a matter of personal taste all three have fantastic qualities depending on the occasion and your humour.

catallus

Whisky is the work of Satan.

cletus van damme

catallus wrote: »

Whisky is the work of Satan.

not true , my granny says "whiskey makes you frisky, gin makes you sin"

SeanW

Wonder what Scotty from Star Trek would have to say:

"No way laddie, the best whiskey is not Scotch but from Japan? It can nae be!"

wilhelm roentgen

SeanW wrote: »

Wonder what Scotty from Star Trek would have to say:

"No way laddie, the best whiskey is not Scotch but from Japan? It can nae be!"

Jim (Beam) me up Scotty

Links234

cletus van damme wrote: »

i really like whiskey.
It bothers me when people start saying irish, scotch, japanese is better or worse than the other.
It's a matter of personal taste all three have fantastic qualities depending on the occasion and your humour.

Oh I don't disagree. I mean, I don't like peaty whiskeys, no matter how good they might be the peatiness just ain't to my tastes. But Irish, Scotch, Japanese I'll find plenty that are great.

It's just that, a few years back, people would look at you funny if you mentioned Japanese whiskey, they'd be surprised that Japan even makes whiskey or wouldn't believe you if you said they were good. Now, a lot of decent places will have some decent Japanese stock, a good few bars will have them, and people don't seem to treat them with incredulity as much. So I'm happy out to see Japan get recognition for making some damn good whiskeys.

Links234

wilhelm roentgen wrote: »

Jim (Beam) me up Scotty

Did you sign up just to make that pun!? Because it's glorious!

ColeTrain

None of this fancy stuff, give us a half one and a pint..

Duckworth_Luas

Nothing I like better than some red lemonade mixed into my whiskey or scotch.

AnonoBoy

Duckworth_Luas wrote: »

Nothing I like better than some red lemonade mixed into my whiskey or scotch.

Don't toy with me Sir. :mad:

razorblunt

Hoop66 wrote: »

I've tried a few Japanese malts, and they're very good. I'm a big fan of the very peaty Islay malts and AFAIK they don't really make any like that.

Lavagullin's profits are safe for a year or two yet.

Lavagullin. Now there's a drink you could set your watch too.

Custardpi

Now that Scotch has slipped down the whisky rankings can we expect to see a drop in the prices of Islay & Speyside malts?

Hoop66

Ha!

MagicMarker

wilhelm roentgen wrote: »

Jim (Beam) me up Scotty

Shouldn't the Jim be in brackets, and not beam?

Don't you feel like a fool?

Lyaiera

I've only started drinking whiskey in the past two or three months, but I love the stuff now. I haven't tried anything Japanese yet, the only one in my local is €8 a shot. I do hope to get my own bottle of something soon, maybe a Lagavulin. I haven't tried a Glenfiddich or Glenlivet yet though and they're both cheaper.

DEFTLEFTHAND

The Scottish Whisky Association as of today no longer recognise Jim Muarry's Whisky Bible.

Joe prim

The 1996 Sashamoto Faugavalach has an absolutely transcendent nose, complemented by subtle laburnum overtones with a subtly arousing quasi-herbal finish, reminiscent of, but totally dissimiliar to the 1904 Shinamilla Lagavourneen single malt,unfortunately , none of you can try it as me and my mate finished off the last bottle in my local last week-lovely with Coke.

Riddle101

I'll just stick to my JAMESON IRISH WHISKEY thanks.

omega man

Bill Murray in lost in translation springs to mind.....

"Suntory time" ;-)

hynesie08

The 12 year old single malt yamazaki is incredible, would love to give the sherry cask version a try, anywhere in dublin sell it by the shot?

Links234

hynesie08 wrote: »

The 12 year old single malt yamazaki is incredible, would love to give the sherry cask version a try, anywhere in dublin sell it by the shot?

The 12 year old hibiki is incredible, check that out if you get a chance

wendell borton

Joe prim wrote: »

The 1996 Sashamoto Faugavalach has an absolutely transcendent nose, complemented by subtle laburnum overtones with a subtly arousing quasi-herbal finish, reminiscent of, but totally dissimiliar to the 1904 Shinamilla Lagavourneen single malt,unfortunately , none of you can try it as me and my mate finished off the last bottle in my local last week-lovely with Coke.

I must be doing it wrong, all whiskey tastes like fire to me.

wilhelm roentgen

MagicMarker wrote: »

Shouldn't the Jim be in brackets, and not beam?

Don't you feel like a fool?

Brackets Nazi!

Somehow, ''a Japanese on the rocks, dosent have the same ring to it..

DuMorph

Jake1 wrote: »

Somehow, ''a Japanese on the rocks, dosent have the same ring to it..

Just ask for an Iwo Jima

AgileMyth

Scotch is a sham and Japanese scotch is a rip off of a sham.

You want a decent whiskey for a reasonable price, don't look past red breast.

Duckworth_Luas

wendell borton wrote: »

I must be doing it wrong, all whiskey tastes like fire to me.

Flat red lemonade is the key. Or Miwadi Orange if you're adventurous.

Hoop66

Lyaiera wrote: »

...I haven't tried a Glenfiddich or Glenlivet yet though and they're both cheaper.

There's a reason for that...

Links234

Duckworth_Luas wrote: »

Flat red lemonade is the key. Or Miwadi Orange if you're adventurous.

This post makes my teeth itch

jester77

Anyone able to locate a bottle?

I've been looking the last few days but everywhere I found is sold out, few places in the UK, Spain and France is all I was able to find.

Micky Dolenz

If it's wet and alcoholic, I'll give it a shot or two.

Links234

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

If it's wet and alcoholic, I'll give it a shot or two.

What about a dry martini?

Micky Dolenz

Links234 wrote: »

What about a dry martini?

As long as she gets my jokes, it's all good.