Scotland has been gently nudged off the top shelf in the whisky battle by an unlikely competitor – Japan.
So popular are whiskies from the Asian nation that rumours are now swirling of a supply shortage.
Few saw the surge of interest coming, least of all major distillery Nikka, which has reportedly restructured their exports to match dwindling supplies.
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Shelves in Japan reportedly emptied after the company’s plans to discontinue some labels were leaked online.
The craze for Japanese products peaked last year when Yamazaki by Suntory distilleries was named the top drink in Jim Murray’s whisky bible.
Sydney-based World of Whisky director Larry Aronson says the book had a big impact on sales.
“There’s unbelievable demand,” he told The New Daily.
“Why is there suddenly an interest in Japanese whisky? I think the reason is that they just produce damn fine whisky.”
Japanese whiskies are now ranked among the top-five sellers, Mr Aronson said.
“I think people are finding that the Japanese are producing whisky comparable to the quality of what’s coming out of Scotland and Ireland,” he said.
Suntory distilleries, which produces Yamazaki and the Hakushu, has begun supplying more units in Australia to meet demand.
Among the new labels is Hibiki.
“It’s an absolutely fantastic blended whisky,” Mr Aronson said.
It’s not just Japan but Asia in general that has made big inroads into the market.
Taiwan’s Kavalan, which has only been in production since 2005, was awarded top honours at this year’s World Whisky Awards.
“It’s really new by comparison with the Japanese distilleries that have been going since the 1920s,” Mr Aronson said.
The downside of popularity
The sudden popularity was never foreseen by Japanese distillers more than a decade ago when they were making current stocks.
Odd Whisky Coy Director Graham Wright said Nikka has discontinued imports for the simple fact that stock is running out.
The Adelaide importer said nobody could have predicted the demand 12 years ago.
“They just don’t have the stock to supply the market, it’s basically a crisis,” Mr Wright said.
“Nikka had a range of 10 to 15 makes but they’re reducing that down to around two.”
Japanese whisky is not new to Australia, but Mr Wright believes post-war prejudice among older drinkers lasted well into the 1980s and even 1990s.
“It’s been coming into Australia for a long time but the Australian public were reluctant to take it on,” he said.
“We had difficulty in getting people just to try it.”
The rise in trendy inner-city whisky bars has changed that.
“There’s been an explosion. My generation liked stuff from Scotland but the guys running the laneway bars in Adelaide and Melbourne are certainly driving it now.”
Finding a good price and even the brands themselves could soon be a struggle for buyers.
“Obviously pricing is going to go up, it will be more expensive … availability is also going to be more difficult,” he said.
Scotland might not have to wait long to reclaim its spot on the top shelf.
What about Tassie?
If Japan is suddenly out of your price range, Mr Aronson has one solution – drink local.
The local spirit might have a different flavour but the distributer still ranks it highly.
Tasmania’s Sullivan’s Cove was last year voted the best single malt in the world at the World Whisky Awards.
And the island state has no shortage of other local labels.
“I think they’re as good as [the Japanese whiskies],” Mr Aronson said.
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