Japanese whiskey will now actually come from Japan. This drink, with a growing worldwide reputation, has been protected since Monday in the archipelago by new rules, intended to dissuade foreign producers from using this name.
International recognition for this alcohol has been increasing since the early 2000s, both among professionals and consumers, with sales and prices increasing. But the name “Japanese whisky” suffered from a lack of rules, allowing foreign manufacturers to use this name despite the absence of a link with Japan.
A stay of at least three years in Japan
Since Monday, stricter specifications from the Japan Spirits and Liqueur Manufacturers Association have come into force. To be able to use the appellation, producers must now use spring water from Japan, and whiskey barrels must be stored in the archipelago for at least three years.
“We believe this will help improve the reputation (of Japanese whiskey) because it will allow our international customers to distinguish it from other products,” said the Suntory group, one of the largest producers. However, the current limitation of these decisions is that no sanctions are provided for violators.
Exports multiplied by 14 in ten years
Japan has around a hundred distilleries, according to experts, and annual exports of its whiskeys reached 56 billion yen (344 million euros) in 2022, or 14 times more than ten years earlier.
Some brands such as Nikka Yoichi 10 years old or Yamazaki 12 years old have won prestigious international awards, and Japanese distillers now anticipate their production decades in advance, in order to satisfy demand. Suntory’s Hibiki 17 year old whiskey also had its moment of glory when the character played by Bill Murray in the film Lost in Translationreleased in 2003, features an advertisement praising this drink in a scene that has become cult.