Scotch Updates:

[BIS40]

whats you guys opinions of the recent Japanese Scotch craze? i feel like if its japanese its not "scotch", and its like what lexus did to mercedes/bmw when they entered car market!
the prices have gone insane too! I got a few bottles of Hibiki Harmony as gift thats about 70$ per bottle, but seeing the main line Hibiki and Yamazaki etc in 100/s-1000's!
Opinions??????
tried the harmony, little different than my go to Oban and McCallan taste for sure!

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[Robotic Wis-Hipple]

I enjoy the Yamazaki, but I haven't been too impressed with the other two myself. The Yamazaki's price started going thru the roof after it won scotch of the year or whatever it won. I'll take a Lagavulin or Glennfiddich for $30-40 less per bottle.

 

[sigrhoillusion]

Not to be a Scotch snob... but there is no such thing as a Japanese scotch. It is whiskey...

Scotch is strictly used to describe whiskey from Scotland. Period. You cannot have a whiskey distilled in Japan, America, England etc and call it Scotch.

Scotch = whiskey but whiskey does not = Scotch.

Rant over.

That being said, I'm down with the Japanese whiskeys, but nothing beats a single malt Scotch.

 

[GaseousClay]

The Suntory master distiller studied Scotch distilling in scotland back in the 1920s, so pretty legit stuff. I'm a big fan of the stuff.

 

[Wiscoblue]

My buddy gave me a bottle of fukano rice whiskey last week. I tried a dram on the weekend. I loved it! I'm no scotch or whiskey snob and if this wasn't $80 at total wine I would buy a couple more bottles and make it one of my staples.


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[IlDestriero]

I am a whisky snob and have been drinking it for 20 years. The Japanese whisky is magnificent. However, just like Scotch whisky, some is better than others. If you want heavily peated Whisky, it's hard to beat what Islay offers.
Hibiki 12 and 17 were great. I always had some on hand as well as Yamazaki 18. That one is my favorite whisky. However they're a victim of their success. They won awards, bested many greats in blind tastings, and were the subject of many blogs, articles, etc. Then came the fall. Limited stock, increased demand, increased distribution. Now we have access to marginal no age statement stock like Harmony and forget about Ichiro and the other stuff that was Japan only. That's all out of reach now. Yamazaki 18 used to sell for $169 a bottle a few years ago, now you're lucky to be able to find one bottle for $299.
One thing that the success of these world whiskies did though was send a wake up call to the Scottish whisky industry to get on their game. That will benefit all of us, but not for another 5-10 years as increased stock is aging. This current era is a whisky dark ages where NAS crap is pushed out to fulfill demand and prices on well aged stuff is ever rising.
Though some nice NAS stuff is out there, you just have to do your homework. Like a'bunadh from Aberlour. One vatting is good, the next 2 so so, then a great one. Except that one isn't in your area.

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Il Destriero

 

[IlDestriero]

On a positive note I opened a bottle of Nikka's Miyagikyo single malt (NAS 45%). It was quite good (less than $100, don't remember). It's a lighter Sherry influenced dram, but still has some richness. I think a couple drops of water helps this one open up. Not great, but I'd recommend it.


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Il Destriero

 

[OB1🤙]

The Hakushu has been one of my favorites since the trip to Japan I took way back when (and mentioned in the other thread). Lightly peated, very balanced, I love it. Used to be difficult but not impossible to find, but since Japanese whisky got popular you have to know of a bar that serves it.

Fortunately we have several around here.

 

[dchz]

I enjoy the Yamazaki, but I haven't been too impressed with the other two myself. The Yamazaki's price started going thru the roof after it won scotch of the year or whatever it won. I'll take a Lagavulin or Glennfiddich for $30-40 less per bottle.

Agreed, Lagavulin and Laphroig are hands down still my fav for the money.