It was mid-summer when the first flurries of excitement drifted like sakura blossom through online whisky communities. It often starts like this – a fervour-like interest in a particular bottling that snowballs; whisky lovers are desperate to taste and whisky collectors are desperate to own. This summer, it was an unusual release from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) that was at the centre of the scrum.
The imaginatively named ‘Mango in the Dojo’ sold out in minutes. Available to SMWS members online, the five-year-old first-fill sherry butt expression was its fastest moving bottle in recent times. Two things made this unusual. The first was that the release was so young; the second was that it wasn’t a Scotch whisky bottling at all.
Instead, this was the first SMWS release from Japanese maker Mars Tsunuki. Labelled 160.1 in the club’s nomenclature (the 160th distillery, the first cask from it), it speaks to the club’s focus on flavour rather than reputation. But even so, the speed of the sale points to growing demand for whisky from the new Japanese whisky distilleries – and with good reason.
Mars is an established whisky distiller and blender but its Tsunuki distillery only started operations in 2016. It’s part of a new wave of makers shaking things up in a country long dominated by the two big houses, Nikka and Suntory, as well as a handful of heritage names. The likes of ghost distilleries Karuizawa and Hanyu have long enchanted collectors. But these household names only tell part of the Japanese whisky story. The recent chapters have developed into a detailed, complex, captivating narrative.
Today, Japan boasts over 140 distilleries, a figure that’s more than doubled in the last ten years. It’s in line with the global craft boom but the quality that’s emerging is outstanding. ‘There’s quite a precision,’ Euan Campbell, head of whisky creation at SMWS, tells me. ‘Like a lot of things in Japanese culture, there’s a lot of time and effort that goes into the mastery of things. Certainly with distilling, they embrace technology and they embrace tradition.’ He’s impressed by the quality of the whisky from these new-wave makers.
What made Mango in the Dojo stand out? The tasting notes point to a sumptuously rich, intricately complex whisky. There’s pine and birch, fennel seeds, caramel and mint leaves, alongside red berries, peached and malt loaf. But more than that, says Campbell, it represented a milestone. It was the first bottling from Mars Tsunuki and one of the first releases from the tranche of new Japanese whisky distilleries. ‘Our genesis was to encourage people to try new things they wouldn’t normally,’ he says of the Society. These new Japanese releases are perhaps then the perfect fit for the curious SMWS audience. Especially when the quality is taken into consideration. He first tasted spirit samples from the new Mars distillery back in 2017 before it was even legally whisky. ‘They were great. And they remained on our radar until the time was right, which is now.’
Kanosuke Distillery is just a 40-minute drive north from Tsunuki, both located on Kyushu, the southernmost major Japanese island. It’s turning into something of a distilling community, being the home of shochu too. Founder, CEO and master blender Yoshitsugu Komasa, himself a fourth-generation shochu maker, founded Kanosuke in 2017. Much of the production has been inspired by the local spirit, especially fermentation and distillation. ‘Kanosuke’ was his grandfather’s name, which speaks to the desire to tell the next chapter of Japan’s spirits-making heritage.
‘Distinctive’ whisky
It’s not just inquisitive SMWS members that are embracing these newer Japanese makers. There’s clear secondary market interest too. Mango in the Dojo originally retailed at £115 but a bottle sold at auction in September for £320. That’s a significant uptick in just three months – a length of time that should filter out the so-called ‘flippers’. There were just 277 bottles released, arguably creating an artificial demand. But SMWS and Mars Tsunuki aren’t the only ones seeing this interest.
Komasa welcomes the sheer volume of new whisky-makers in his country, especially because it creates more choice beyond the bigger brands. ‘There are now more options like Kanosuke for more distinctive Japanese whisky; it is something that I think whisky drinkers and collectors will find appealing,’ he says. A key feature that he believes is adding weight to some newcomers was the Japanese whisky standards introduced in 2021 by the Japan Spirits and Liqueur Makers Association (JSLMA). In brief, the standards state that members can only label their whisky as ‘Japanese’ if it contains grains – some malted – and Japanese water. It then must be mashed, fermented and distilled in the country. There had been something of a scandal when an industry open secret came to light: some whisky sourced from elsewhere – notably Scotland – was being labelled and sold as Japanese whisky. Kanosuke, which from inception has controlled every part of its production, was not one of those. The standards, enforceable from April 2024, have without doubt contributed to increasing consumer confidence and demand.
‘Being a member of the JSLMA means that you are more trusted, respected and seen as authentic, and that is the minimum requirement,’ Komasa states. ‘In addition to that, we think it is important to convey the individuality of the Japanese whisky sold by each distillery.’
It’s that sense of identity that is seeing Kanosuke gain fans – and awards – around the world. Take, for example, its Hioki Pot Still expression. Made from malted and unmalted barley, it’s distilled using a stainless steel shochu still and a worm tub condenser. ‘Through this new whisky, I am able to communicate about the shochu culture, which is also the background of my birth.’
‘Gone in an instant’
The appeal isn’t just anecdotal or based on one lightning-fast bottle sale. Independent bottler and e-commerce platform Milroy’s has noticed an uptick too amongst both online shoppers and private clients. ‘I think Japanese whisky has had some issues in the past with provenance,’ acknowledges CEO Jolyon Dunn. ‘But new producers that have that and are taking on traditional production, and almost perfecting it, is of course interesting.’
His customers are following the development of these next-gen makers with fascination. ‘As these stocks mature, there will be real collector pieces that drinkers will enjoy as well.’ It’s been a journey for Japanese whisky. When he first started working in drinks ten years ago, there was both a lack of trust and understanding. ‘Yamazaki 18 at even £60 a bottle was an impossible sell.’ There was the preconception that only Scotland knew how to make whisky. The distilling boom, and now the quality that’s coming from Japan, has changed all that. ‘Nikka from the Barrel, for example, is one of our top sellers. When competitors enter the space at the right price, between £50 and £100, and there’s the quality to match, it’s gone in an instant.’ It’s perhaps ironic that Nikka from the Barrel is one of the whiskies that sits outside of JSMLA rules but Dunn’s customers don’t seem too worried and there is now, at least, more transparency about its origins.
For everyday drinkers and collectors alike, these new-wave whiskies are hot property. With a spectrum of novel flavours and production philosophies setting them apart from heritage houses, it’s an exciting time to look to Japan.
