Your Next Scotch Should Be From Japan ― These Are Our Faves

If you’re a fan of Scotch, or just whisky in general, fall means it’s swirling season. And if you’re a Scotch lover, you’ve probably established a bit of a routine―not to mention a bit of a bottle collection―to bring you some peace as the temps drop and the sun starts ghosting us earlier and earlier. There’s no better time to expand your Scotch collection, especially if you haven’t yet branched out into the world of Japanese whisky.

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What Japanese Whisky Tastes Like

Japanese whisky is inspired by (and even spelled like) the Scottish kind, but it’s had a century to evolve its own variations on what makes this kind of whisky so sublime. Japanese whisky can get highly technically nuanced, but you’ll see a lot of distinctions you’re familiar with: single malt, blended, etc. But due to innovations like using different yeast strains in the distilling process, you’ll find a beautiful light-to-rich-brown variety of flavors (herbs, spices, fruit, nuttiness, vanilla, oak, smoke, the list goes on). There are, of course, also unique flavors imparted by Japanese woods, like mizunara and sakura.

Here’s a few Japanese bottles to get you started, along with tasting notes and approximate prices. No doubt you’ll find a new favorite whisky to sip and swirl this fall. Be sure to check the ABVs before you buy―most clock in a bit higher than 40%.

What We Recommend

Suntory Toki ($28-36)

This pick is a great introduction to Japanese whisky, especially for its price point. Expect notes of apple, honey, and vanilla (due to the oak) along with a lighter color.

Suntory Toki Black ($39-42)

Very similar to our first choice, this one is peated. (For the newbies, peated whisky will always be―to varying degrees―smoky.) The Toki Black carries more apple along with lighter florals, but you’ll also get darker sugar notes, though no actual sweetness. Expect subtle spice and swirls of smoke.

Kaigan Sakura Cask Japanese Whisky ($50)

The sakura in the name refers to the kind of wooden barrel the whisky is finished in and this Kaigan blend spent 6 months in Japanese sakura, or cherry tree, barrels. The result is a whisky with delicate red cherry notes framed by almond, wood, and top notes of citrus. 

Hibiki Japanese Harmony ($75)

We’re getting into higher price ranges now. This blended whisky includes spicy, structured mizunara oak flavors that frame a lush, sweet, even peach-vanilla fruit core. Again, nothing is sweet on the palate, really―especially with notes like rosemary and that almost incense-like vibe leached from the Japanese oak barrels.

Nikka Single Malt Miyagikyo ($90)

This single malt is an investment whisky, to be sure, but it’s a great way to get a top notch whisky on your shelf. This one’s from the distilleries founded by Masataka Taketsuru himself. The grandfather of Japanese whisky, Taketsuru was a chemist who fell so in love with Scotch that he brought it home and thus started the tradition of Japanese whisky. Expect delicate notes of peat plus chewy fruitiness from time spent finishing in Sherry casks. There should also be some salinity and even nuttiness (again, thanks to that cask).