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Japanese Whisky Budget Series: Under $1,000

We’re reaching to our more affordable Japanese whiskies that you can buy for any occasion or just for yourself! Featuring an extensive collection of fine Japanese liquor, this special blog post from the Japanese Whisky Budget Series lists the 20 exciting whiskies to try that are under $1,000.

  1. Hanshin Tigers Whisky Aged 12 Years

Price: $999.99

Hanshin Tigers, a Nippon Professional Baseball team in Japan, celebrated an incredible win in 2003 by becoming the champions for the All-Nippon Professional Baseball Central League, and the Hanshin Tigers 12-Year-Old Whisky by the closed distillery, Karuizawa, was created to commemorate this exciting event. For 18 years since 1985, the Hanshin Tigers haven’t won a single Japan Series (believed to be due to the urban legend called the Curse of the Colonel). That’s why 2003 was such a major year for this baseball team: It was their comeback! For the baseball fan or whisky lover in your life, the Hanshin Tigers Whisky is a must-have treasure.

  1. Nikka Yoichi, Miyagikyo, Taketsuru, and Suntory Hokuto Miniatures

Price: $979.99

To sample Nikka and Suntory whiskies, this miniatures set gives you a private tasting of each luxurious whisky from these two popular companies. The Suntory Hokuto Miniatures box includes six 50mL bottles, and the Nikka whisky boxes have 12 sample bottles in each. This sample bottle set includes only single-malt whiskies that have aged for 12 years.

  1. Nikka Ceramic Bottle

Price: $959.99

For a beautiful display and delectable whisky all in one, the Nikka Ceramic Bottle is a single malt from the famous Japanese whisky company. This handmade ceramic decanter features a floral design and sleek shape, making it a lovely alternative to glass-bottled whiskies.

  1. Yamazaki 10 Years Green Label Miniatures

Price: $959.99

With the Yamazaki 10 Years Green Label Miniatures, you can hand out samples of this exquisite and rare Suntory whisky to your friends and family. Each case has six 50mL bottles, which makes this set great for adult stocking stuffers, wedding favors, and more. This single-malt whisky was aged in bourbon barrels and has a rich fruity sweetness.

  1. Hibiki 21-Year-Old Mount Fuji Limited Edition

Price: $959.99

To honor the sacred mountain of Japan, Mount Fuji, Suntory has released this Hibiki 21-Year-Old Limited Edition blended whisky as a way to celebrate Mount Fuji’s addition to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2013. This luxurious bottle features Mount Fuji surrounded by a gorgeous greenery landscape and strings of clouds in the sky. You can have a taste of Suntory’s fine whisky and have a view of Mount Fuji right in your home with this Hibiki edition!

Other Hibiki Mount Fuji Editions:

  1. Togouchi 25 Years Old For Hiroshima TOYO Carp Champions 2016

Price: $949.99

Here’s another Japanese whisky bottle featuring a famous professional baseball team! The Togouchi 25 Years Old was released to celebrate the Hiroshima Toyo Carp team earning the Central League Champions title in 2016, and only 1,000 bottles were available for the market. Aged for 25 years, this whisky reflects the 25 years that the Hiroshima Toyo Carp team waited until they achieved their ultimate victory in 2016.

This limited edition whisky is from the Chugoku Jozo distillery and brewery, which is known for sake. Made with Canadian grains and Scottish malts, the Togouchi 25 Years Old was blended, aged, and bottled in Japan, so this whisky has a unique taste unlike other Japanese-made whiskies. It also comes with a wooden box and charm for the bottle.  

  1. Suntory Hibiki 21 Year Old Tasting Set for 70th Anniversary

Price: $929.99

Get a taste of two different kinds of Hibiki whiskies from Suntory with this extravagant tasting set! Featuring two miniature Hibiki whisky bottles, the 21 Years Old and Harmony, this duo comes in a limited edition box and was released to commemorate Suntory’s 70th Anniversary. You can try two Hibiki whiskies and see how each one has its own original flavors and aromas.

  1. Taketsuru 21 Years Old 80th Anniversary

Price: $899.99

As a living memorial of Nikka’s founder, Masataka Taketsuru, and a treasure to symbolize Nikka’s Yoichi 80th Anniversary, the Taketsuru 21-Year-Old Whisky is a special non-chill-filtered liquor, which means that it can hold extra lip-smacking flavor and texture that you may not find in other whiskies that have been filtered. If you’re interested in a different type of whisky, try this symbolic drink that represents the unique history and culture of Nikka Whisky.

  1. Ichiro’s Malt – 15-Year-Old Vintage of Hanyu

Price: $899.99

Another one of Hanyu’s priceless treasures in the Ichiro’s Malt line! This 15-year-old whisky is one of last spirits produced by the silent distillery, Hanyu, and Chichibu Distillery sells the rest of the reserved stock. Featuring a flavor profile full of fruity, candy-like sweetness and hints of spices and woodiness, this rare whisky is an exquisite and delightful addition to your collection.

  1. Suntory Royal Violin Bottle Special Grade Whisky

Price: $899.99

Add this elegant musical piece to your whisky collection! Suntory’s Royal Violin Bottle Special Grade Whisky is not only sophisticated on the outside, but it also contains silky smooth, sweet, and rich whisky inside. This whisky makes a wonderful and thoughtful gift for the musician or whisky fan in your life!

Other musical whisky bottles from Suntory:

  1. Mars Single Cask 1990 Komagatake Sherry Cask

Price: $889.99

Near the Komagatake Mountains is where Shinshu Mars Distillery lies, and this splendid single cask whisky was produced from this distillery. Although this distillery is not as well-known as others like Chichibu and Yamazaki, the Shinshu Mars Distillery still offers lovely liquor that you can enjoy. This particular spirit has a distinct sweet sherry flavor since it’s from a single sherry cask. You can relish the taste of rich fruitiness and the unique flavor that only the climate around the Komagatake Mountains can give with this Komagatake Sherry Cask whisky!

  1. Suntory Single Cask Sherry Butt 1996 for Whisky Live 10th Anniversary

Price: $879.99

Whisky Live is a special international whisky event where you can sample a wide range of whiskies from around the world, and it’s held in various locations throughout the year, from Tokyo to London. Suntory’s Yamazaki Distillery released this special 1996 single-cask whisky for the 10th Anniversary of the Whisky Live event. Matured in a sherry cask, this dram has a rich, deep sherry flavor profile with notes of spice, oak, and smokiness. This limited edition was only released for Whisky Live 2010, so it’s a collectible item if you’re a huge Suntory fan or if you attended the Whisky Live event in 2010 and want a souvenir.

  1. Hibiki Deep Harmony Limited Edition

Price: $819.99

Elegant and sweet, the Hibiki Deep Harmony from Suntory is a lovely single-malt blend of whiskies, symbolizing the “Deep Harmony” in the whisky’s name. This no-age statement whisky was released in 2013 and has a blend of whiskies (Hakushu malt and Chita grain) matured in ex-red-wine casks and ex-sherry casks. The label itself is also a symbolic part of this Hibiki edition, and it’s colored in a traditional Japanese ‘sakuranezu’ shade (like the color mauve) to represent the sherry and red wine casks used to mature the spirits in this single-malt blend.

  1. Kirin Single Grain 40th Anniversary Limited Edition Whisky

Price: $789.99

Fuji Gotemba, a distillery opened by Kirin Seagram Ltd., presents a limited edition of a single-grain whisky for Kirin’s 40th Anniversary! Fuji Gotemba is a distillery based in a town called Gotemba and located near Mount Fuji (hence the name), and this location was selected so that whiskies produced from Fuji Gotemba would be similar to Scotland’s own whiskies. Water sources around Mount Fuji are used to make Fuji Gotemba whisky, creating a pure and rich spirit. With a sweet nose upfront and a blend of spicy and sweet flavors palate, this magnificent whisky is an exclusive taste from a Mount-Fuji-based distillery.

  1. Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu Golden Horse 8 Year Old

Price: $749.99

From Chichibu Distillery, the Ichiro’s Malt Golden Horse 8-Year-Old Single-Malt Whisky is a luxurious addition to your collection. Rich and full-bodied, the caramel-like sweet, spicy, and peaty flavors of this Japanese single malt is excellent for those with a more mature palate.

Chichibu Distillery is a Venture Whisky distillery. Read more about Venture Whisky here.

  1. Suntory Granville Collection World Posters 3 Bottles Set

Price: $729.99

Bookworms and whisky nerds unite with the Suntory Granville Collection World Posters Set! Each bottle is shaped like a book and has its own case for storage, making this an innovative and creative library of whiskies a great collector’s gift. The books have a different artwork on the front. To get to the juicy part of the book, pull off the corner top and you’ll unveil the opening to the whisky inside each book. This set makes a wonderful collection for a home library or office, too!

  1. Whisky Super Nikka Ryukyu Island Map Edition

Price: $689.99

Many distilleries and whisky companies create bottles that have immense historical and cultural values; it’s more than sharing what’s inside the decanter. The Whisky Super Nikka Ryukyu Island Map Edition represents the time between 1961 to 1999 when Nikka had a subsidiary in the capital of Okinawa: Naha.

During this time period, the U.S. government had military bases on this archipelago, and Nikka created this whisky to appeal to the American soldiers. The old map painted on this elegant ceramic bottle shows the Ryukyu Island, the former Okinawa. For a historically rich bottle of whisky with an American twist, try this exquisite edition.

  1. Yamazaki 18-Year-Old Gift Set

Price: $659.99

The Yamazaki 18-Year-Old is already a delightful whisky from Suntory, but you get double the delights with this glass + whisky set! The Yamazaki whisky is a single malt and won a Gold at the 2007 International Spirits Challenge and a Double Gold at the 2005 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Smooth and complex, this whisky has a harmonious mix of deep flavors, fruity sweetness, tongue-tingling spices, and traditional mizunara (Japanese oak) essence.

A beautiful set that includes two sophisticated drinking glasses, perfect for sharing with your special someone on a anniversary or on Valentine’s Day. You can also make this a part of a luxurious gift basket for a dear friend or family member!

  1. Suntory Valentine “Especially For You” Whisky Set

Price: $559.99

Another ‘love’ly set from Suntory! Exclusively for Valentine’s Day, this set has four Suntory-made whisky bottles (100mL each) hidden inside heart-shaped, origami-like boxes. Excellent as Valentine’s Day favors to your closest friends or special someone, this rare, limited edition whisky set is sure to make any whisky lover’s heart jump with glee.

  1. Suntory Whisky Gift Set

Price: $529.99

Suntory is popular for the whisky gift sets, and this particular Suntory Whisky Gift Set is yet another impressive collector’s item from this century-old company. Featuring three miniature Yamazaki 12-Year-Old Pure Malt and three Suntory Whisky Ageing 15 bottles along with drinking glasses, this is a wonderful set to have for dinner parties or intimate gatherings with friends and family. It also makes a great collector’s gift or a sampler’s set.

Find more luxurious liquor at lower or higher prices with our other blog posts in our Japanese Whisky Budget Series! You can also explore our New Arrivals Collection to discover brand new additions to our whisky cabinet.