Differing Characteristics

Unravelling the characteristics of Japan’s whiskies and appreciating their qualities is a fascinating process. Whilst there are some similarities between Japanese and Scottish whiskies there are many differences. Much of their malted barley is sourced, as by Scottish distilleries, from Scotland and UK and Europe and many copper stills originate in Scotland. But the environment, and especially the climate and the soil which in turn influence vegetation and ultimately water chemistry, is very different. And people: differing social structures at the national, regional and local community level down to the individual distillery communities, all influence the differing history and traditions and work ethos of those who make and nurture the final products. Their spirits influence each and every bottle too.

Climate

Japan sits between the latitudes 30⁰N and 46⁰N making it about as close to the Tropic of Cancer at 23⁰N as Scotland, sitting between 54⁰N and 61⁰N, is as close to the Arctic Circle at 67⁰N. Inevitably this difference contributes to some of the disparity between respective climates and in prevailing weather conditions which in turn contribute to differences in the maturation processes within their respective whiskies. For example Eigashima Distillery, west of Osaka, sits by the sea as do many Scottish distilleries, however, evaporation from casks maturing at Eigashima reaches seven to eight percent which is three to four times that in Scottish coastal distilleries. That higher rate of evaporation, caused by a warmer, drier environment, will affect the length of time casks may be left to mature for the alcohol content would fall to a critical level quite rapidly making it difficult to produce well-aged malt whiskies. Indeed Eigashima runs virtually all of its malt whisky into blends.

Altitude

Almost three quarters of Japan is mountainous. The highest mountain Mount Fuji reaches an altitude of 3,776m above sea level and is almost three time higher than Scotland’s highest mountain Ben Nevis which reaches an altitude of 1344 m. A number of Japan’s distilleries are situated at much higher altitudes than those in Scotland. Hakushu at an altitude of 700m is the highest distillery in Japan and is over twice the altitude of the highest distilleries in Scotland namely Braeval at 335m and Dalwhinnie at 326m. Even at lower altitude Japanese summers are generally warmer and the winters fairly similar to those in Scotland. Therefore, most Japanese distilleries experience greater extremes in temperatures which will contribute to differing characteristics between national whiskies.

Soil

Japan comprises four principal islands namely, from north to south, Hokkaidō, Honshū, Shikoku, and Kyūshū, which are the summits of mountain ridges uplifted near the outer edge of the continental shelf on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a ring of seismic fault lines circling the Pacific Ocean. Volcanoes are common in such zones of subduction where oceanic crust is drawn under oceanic plate. Consequently, Japan is subject to frequent, low-intensity earth tremors and occasionally volcanic activity throughout its islands; destructive earthquakes occur several times during each century. Indeed, Japan is home to over one hundred active volcanoes, about one tenth of the world's total. Mount Asama, on the main island of Honshū erupted in February 2009 and spewed ash 2km into the air. Rocks were found as far as 1km from the volcano, the town of Karuizawa, home to Karuizawa Disitllery was blanketed in a fine layer of powder, and light clouds of ash reached Tokyo over 140km away. Minor eruptions were also recorded across the country. In many areas of Japan rain water drains through or over lava formations and soils containing recent volcanic deposits. Thus a number of Japanese distilleries, including Fuji-Gotemba and Karuizawa, use water which has drained through volcanic deposits.

Swapping

Whilst Scottish distilleries exchange and trade casks amongst themselves Japanese whisky companies do not do so. Therefore, since the whisky companies own just one or two different distilleries, Japanese blended whiskies contain whiskies from a maximum of two Japanese distilleries although some blends may also contain imported Scottish whisky. In order to produce a wide range of products a number of distilleries in Japan are equipped with stills of varying dimensions, with lyne arms of varying angles, and a mixture of cooling systems. Therefore, they may produce a much wider range of whiskies in a single distillery than is the case in Scotland.

People

Shinjiro Torii sent his employee Masataka Taketsuru to Scotland in 1918 in order to study chemistry at Glasgow University and to gain practical experience in whisky production at Longmorn, Bo’ness and Hazelburn Distilleries. Taketsuru returned to Japan in 1920 with his Scottish wife Rita and advised Torii on the construction of Yamazaki Distillery, the first whisky distillery in Japan, and was appointed distillery manager in 1923. Torii then established the Suntory group whilst Taketsuru subsequently founded his own Yoichi Distillery in 1934 which grew into the Nikka group. Toa Shuzo established the Hanyu Distillery at Chichibu in 1941, however, the distillery closed in 2000. Toa Shuzo’s grandson Ichiro Akuto along with Sasanokawa Shuzo rescued and now hold the remaining casks from this distillery. Ichiro Akuto built his own distillery, Japan’s newest, near Chichibu in 2008 having spent some time in Scotland researching materials and equipment for his new distillery.

Equipment

Over the years associations have continued between Scotland and Japan through importation of Scottish grown and malted barley, equipment including tuns and stills manufactured by Scottish companies, and also Scottish whisky for use in blending with Japanese whisky.