Why Japanese whisky is so good and so hard to find:
One of Japan's leading whisky bloggers discusses the shortage of good Japanese single malts, the state of the country's whisky industry, and how to order a highball.
Once upon a time, you could walk into a shop in Japan and buy whole casks of Yamazaki whisky from Suntory. Today, you're lucky if you can get a bottle of 12-year old Yamazaki Single Malt. Earlier this year, a bottle of Yamazaki 50 became the most expensive bottle of Japanese whisky ever sold, after it was purchased at auction for about $299,000.Brian Ashcraft has spent the past decade studying Japanese whisky. His new book, "Japanese Whisky: The Ultimate Guide to the World's Most Desirable Spirit with Tasting Notes from Japan's Leading Whisky Blogger," explores how the spirit's global popularity has exploded in recent years. Ashcraft, who is based in Osaka and has been living in Japan for 17 years, recently spoke to Roads & Kingdoms about the state of Japan's whisky industry-and why it continues to become a popular spirit among whisky aficionados.
(Via Roads & Kingdoms)
I'm not a huge whisky drinker but I am appreciating it more. I do seem to be collecting bottles lately.
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