In my previous blog I wrote about Nikka whisky for the first time, and also on the changing tastes of Japanese whisky lovers. As peat taste did not go well with most Japanese whisky drinkers at the time Black Nikka was made, It is an important part of Japanese whisky history and Masataka Taketsuru himself […]
We at dekantā like to get out of the office from time to time, and as we are supposed to be an authority on the Japanese whisky scene, we decided to visit one of the better bars in Tokyo, aptly named the Yamazaki Bar. Actually, the name does not come from the Yamazaki whisky, but […]
In the previous 4 articles I have talked extensively about Suntory whisky. However when it comes to the story of Japanese whisky, the most important company is probably Nikka. Taketsuru and Yoichi, Miyagikyo and Pure Malt White are some of the more famous products of Nikka. Recently it has also introduced the wonderful CoffeyGrain whisky. […]
Cats are lucky (they’ve got nine lives and all) and they tend to live pretty cushy, comfortable lives, their duties mostly consisting of purring, being petted, and listening to people gush about their adorableness. Compare that to dogs who spend all their lives obeying orders and being scolded it they don’t. And why exactly are […]
When one mentions Suntory’s whisky distilleries, most people think of the Yamazaki distillery in Osaka, which was founded in 1923, making it Japan’s oldest distillery. Another famous distillery is the Hakushu distillery, founded in 1973. I have introduced cocktails made from Hakushu and Yamazaki whiskies in previous articles; however, there is another Suntory distillery with […]
In the world of whisky, Whisky Live is one of the most exciting happenings. First held in Tokyo in 2000, this festival celebrating whisky has now expanded to other major cities including London, Paris, Los Angeles, Warsaw, Singapore and others. This year’s Tokyo live festival is about to kick off. All the major players in […]
In the past two columns I have introduced cocktails made with Yamazaki and Hakushu both of which are excellent whiskies. Another excellent Japanese whisky at a similar or higher level is the Hibiki. Suntory introduced it in 1989, aiming to present the best blended whisky there is on the market, and I think most people would […]
Hibiki, Yamazaki, Suntory Old, Black Nikka, Yoichi, Taketsuru and Nikka from the Barrel: If you know your Japanese whisky, you have probably heard all those names. However, you might be surprised at the variety of other Japanese whiskies available. Here we present a few whiskies you have almost certainly not heard of, let alone tried. […]
A week ago I discussed how Yamazaki whisky can replace Scotch in cocktails. This week I am going to show you how Hakushu can be used as a replacement for cognac in a certain popular cocktail. Whisky is used to make a wide variety of cocktails. Of all the possibilities, the Sidecar is perhaps the most […]
Welcome to the new dekantā! As you can see we have made plenty of changes and are excited to hear your feedback. New additions include a weekly bartender column straight from Japan as well as more in-depth articles, guides and more. This has been a good summer for Japanese whisky — customers are literally fighting […]