The Legacy Continues

In order to celebrate dekanta’s 8th Anniversary, we are releasing our third World Blended Whisky, and the final in our unique series that celebrates the longstanding, fruitful relationship between Japan and Scotland. The series kicked off two years ago with the Kyoyu, built around the concept of sharing, before moving on to last year’s Shimai, which focused on sisterhood.

This year’s bottling, The Yujou - which translates as “Friendship” - looks to pay homage to the strong ties between Japan and Scotland that have lasted over a century and have seen the two nations share everything from industrial knowledge, artwork, crafts and, of course, whisky making processes.

Masters In The Art Of Blending

The pursuit of excellence that permeates every aspect of Japanese culture has given rise to exciting new products that have raised the bar by challenging long standing conventions. One of the most profound contributions has been in the realm of blended whisky. Long perceived as inferior to single malts, Japan has transformed the industry by giving enthusiasts an entirely new outlook on blends, turning even the harshest critics into raving fans. which focused on sisterhood.

Japanese master blenders also helped to pave the way for the vibrant and exciting World Blended Whisky category that we see flourishing today.

Shimai Wins Gold

Blending in Japan is seen as an art form, with Master Blenders spending weeks and months on end tasting and blending hundreds of cask samples, before finally deciding on their chosen composition. It is because of this that blended whiskies created in Japan tend to exude quality and incredibly well-balanced notes..

With that in mind, we were incredibly proud to find out that last year’s Anniversary bottling - The Shimai World Blended Whisky - scored 96 out of 100 at the International Wine and Spirits Competition, receiving a Gold Medal in the process.

At dekanta, we couldn’t be prouder of this achievement and we hope to best it with 2023’s Yujou release.

Shimai Wins Gold

Blending in Japan is seen as an art form, with Master Blenders spending weeks and months on end tasting and blending hundreds of cask samples, before finally deciding on their chosen composition. It is because of this that blended whiskies created in Japan tend to exude quality and incredibly well-balanced notes.

With that in mind, we were incredibly proud to find out that last year’s Anniversary bottling – The Shimai World Blended Whisky – scored 96 out of 100 at the International Wine and Spirits Competition, receiving a Gold Medal in the process.

At dekanta, we couldn’t be prouder of this achievement and we hope to best it with 2023’s Yujou release.

Commemorating An Historic Partnership

Blending in Japan is seen as an art form, with Master Blenders spending weeks and months on end tasting and blending hundreds of cask samples, before finally deciding on their chosen composition. It is because of this that blended whiskies created in Japan tend to exude quality and incredibly well-balanced notes.

With that in mind, we were incredibly proud to find out that last year’s Anniversary bottling - The Shimai World Blended Whisky - scored 96 out of 100 at the International Wine and Spirits Competition, receiving a Gold Medal in the process.

At dekanta, we couldn’t be prouder of this achievement and we hope to best it with 2023’s Yujou release.

Introducing The Yujou

Taking its name from the Japanese word for friendship, The Yujou is an ode to the long-standing relationship between Japan and Scotland and all that it has produced over the past two centuries, while honoring the importance and traditions of friendship on a more general level.

In Japan, friends are hugely significant in peoples’ lives. Social groups are often formed based on common bonds early on and are rarely broken, with people remaining committed to many of their childhood and teenage friendships throughout their adult life.

We see a similar relationship when we look at Scotland and Japan throughout the ages. Scotland was the mentor to Japan in whisky making, teaching young distillers how to produce great whisky, lessons that they took back home and passed on through the generations, resulting in the vibrant Japanese whisky landscape of today. But this was not all that has been shared between these two nations.

They have also shared everything from lacquerware and furniture to cartography and political ideas.

In 1868, Captain Brown from Glasgow was commissioned to chart the Japanese coastline. Around the same time, Richard Brunton from Aberdeen was charged with installing lighthouses around the coast of Japan.

Likewise, Japanese engineer, Kaichi Watanabe, used his expertise to help build the pioneering Forth Bridge, in the 1880s. The bridge is a feat of engineering, and still operates to this day.

Perhaps most notably, during the period leading up to the Meiji Restoration, when Japan was looking to find a true sense of itself once more, looking outwards to the rest of the world for notes on how they should modernize was increasingly common. Many Japanese people felt their country had been left behind thanks to the somewhat archaic and dictatorial Shogunate, and restoration of Imperial rule was at the forefront of Japanese political thinkers' minds.

During this time, Itō Hirobumi, traveled on a fact finding mission to the US and Europe. It was while in the UK that he liaised with the aforementioned Richard Henry Brunton, and Professor William John Macquorn Rankine of Glasgow University.

He learned a great deal along the way and, on his return to Japan, he helped draft the groundbreaking Meiji Constitution and served as Japan’s first prime minister.

Through The Yujou, we aim to draw focus and pay homage to this fruitful friendship of nations, raising a toast to those that built and strengthened it, while also hoping that these ties continue long into the future.

Unrivaled Flavour Notes

The final result is an incredibly well-balanced, yet complex expression that combines rich, fruity and oaky Scotch, with lighter, floral and subtly smoky Japanese whisky. On the nose it brings hints of citrus fruits and fresh red berries that dance with gentle layers of vanilla, before gradually becoming richer, with cinnamon spice, rich oak, freshly cut grass and light aromas of brown sugar. Like the nose, the palate starts fresh, with a mixture of citrus juice and light oak, before that richness slowly creeps in once again as the oak builds and is joined by melting dark chocolate, nutmeg, subtle smoke and Christmas cake. The finish holds for a medium amount of time and leaves refreshing flavors of sliced apple, juicy berries, oak and a final hint of cinnamon and nutmeg spice.

Japanese Inspired Design

Much like the previous two releases in the series, The Yujou features an impeccable design that follows in style. It is inspired by Japanese art and culture, bringing forth a level of meticulous detail that is a true masterpiece. Artist Nicolas Castell, a master of the Ukiyo-e art style, was once again commissioned to complement this exceptional whisky with a Japanese inspired design capturing the essence and importance of friendship in Japan. Nicolas created a work of art that embodies the whisky inside. It’s a joyous display of simplicity, balance and friendship that features two industrial workers, one from Japan and one from Scotland, sharing a dram under a recently constructed bridge.

It’s a stunning bottle that tops off what we think is one of the most visually impressive World Blended Whisky series ever made, in real style.

Order Online Today.

The Yujou is now available for pre-order. With production limited to just 260 bottles and the unprecedented demand for this innovative blended expression, the bottles are expected to be in tight supply. Simply click the button below to reserve your bottle now.