Japanese Whisky

Surprisingly, Japan and other Asian countries have also developed a strong desire for whiskies. In fact, Japan is the largest producer in the world outside of North America and the UK. Here, too, the connection to the Celtic distilling process can be found. The "father of Japanese whisky," Masataka Taketuru, was actually the first Japanese to study the art of whisky making at the University of Glasgow from 1918 to 1920. Masataka's talent did not occur by chance. His family had owned a sake brewery that had been producing quality rice wine since 1733. Not only was his experience in the Highlands a profound awakening for Masataka, but his choice of location for his distillery, in Yoichi, Hokkaido, mirrored in geography the Scottish town in which he had lived.

Masataka was later hired by Shinjiro Torrii to setup a whisky company (now known as Suntory). At the time, few Japanese people drank whisky at the time, but Torrii sought to create a whisky that would reflect the customs and traditions of the Japanese. The most important factor was that the whisky would not interfere with the flavor of Japanese cuisine. Torrii eventually succeeded, and his whisky is now the most popular whisky in Japan.

While Scotch whisky is ideal when drunk alone, Japanese whisky is ideal as a complement to food. Surprisingly enough, the world's largest whisky distillery is not in Scotland or Ireland, but in Japan.

Irish Whiskey

Besides the spelling, Irish whiskey differs from Scotch in several ways. The malt in Irish whiskey is typically dried in sealed ovens versus the opened Scottish process. Irish whiskey is usually distilled three times, while for the most part, Scottish is distilled twice. These differences are not always the rule and some Irish whiskies, like Connemara, are only distilled twice with peated barley. To be called Irish, the whiskey has be made from native grains and matured in wooden casks for a minimum of three years. Like Scotch, used barrels like bourbon and rum casks are utilized for the maturation process. Most Irish whiskey is distilled in column stills that use coils to heat the spirit. Pot stills are also used and are becoming more common. These stills are similar to Scottish stills which use direct flame to heat the spirit.

Currently, Ireland has only three operating distilleries and they produce several types of Irish whiskey. Midleton and Bushmills are the most popular, but the independent Cooley, is the only Irish owned. Like American Bourbon, Irish whiskey has started a new revival with great ultra premium selections like Connemara and Redbreast. Which happen to be two of our favorites.

Blended
Like Scotch, blended Irish whiskey is the most common and makes up the majority of production. Blended is made from single malt and grain whiskies. ex. Jameson, Bushmill’s Original, Tullamore Dew.

Single Malt
Whiskey made from malted barley from one whiskey type in either column or pot stills. ex. Bushmills 10, Connemara 12, Tyrconnell

Grain
Whiskey made entirely from grain. The majority of grain whiskey goes into blends and little is bottles by itself. ex. Greenore

Pure Pot Still
A combination of malted and unmalted barley distilled in pot stills. ex. Redbreast 12, Green Spot.

Canadian Whisky

Regardless of where this golden drink of the heavens originated, it has spread to all points of the globe. From Australia to Sweden, Turkey to Thailand, throughout Europe, Asia and North America, distilled grain and cereal mixtures have had an impact on the world.

The largest producer outside of the British Isles and the United States is Canada. The eleven distilleries of Canadian whisky have produced blends that are popular worldwide. Many Canadian distilleries have direct connections with, or are owned by, Scottish distillers who recognized the potential in the New World.

One major distinction of Canadian distilleries is that often, whisky is not their only product. Rum, vodka and other distilled spirits can be found among the list of quality products at a number of these Canadian locations. From Nova Scotia to British Columbia, however, the love of the Canadian Blended Whisky has continued to grow and, in fact, has made this beverage one of the most popular imports around the world.