Mother’s Day is almost here and it’s time to get your mother interested in those Japanese whiskies you’ve been collecting so passionately recently. From Japanese blends to single malts, here are some of the best entry level Japanese whiskies out there, at prices that won’t break the bank.
Suntory Toki – $32.99
Available across the U.S. Suntory Toki is an affordable, easy-drinking Japanese whisky to enter the category with. As a blended expression, it showcases the skill of Suntory’s blenders, the world’s most renowned in the category of Japanese blended whisky. Toki is often recommended in a highball (whisky and soda), making it the perfect first step for someone, in this case, your mother, who needs to start slow with whisky’s flavour only subtly making an appearance.
Hibiki Japanese Harmony – $69.99
A step up from Suntory Toki, Hibiki is the most popular Japanese blended range in the world and is also produced by Suntory. The Hibiki 21-year-old has been named the top blend in the world annually at international competitions and challenges. The Hibiki Japanese Harmony is the most affordable and accessible of the range, as the 17, 21, and 30-year-old bottlings are extremely difficult to find, almost always sold out at stores and online. Smooth and elegant, this is a great introduction to the most premium spirit from Japan and a great one to get your mother into whisky.
Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve – $75.00
Suntory is in the spotlight again, this time with their famed Yamazaki single malt. Unlike the previous blends which include whiskies from several different distilleries, a single malt means that all the whisky in the bottle was made and matured at a single distillery, in this case, the Yamazaki distillery near Kyoto, Japan. Caramel, sweet malt, and immense depth make this perfect for those looking for an extra touch of intensity after trying the aforementioned blends or other lighter whiskies.
Nikka Coffey Malt – $81.99
Nikka is the second largest whisky maker in Japan, and their Coffey range honours a man called Aeneas Coffey, who created a uniquely shaped still used to distil whisky. There is no coffee in this! In Scotland, malt whisky cannot be made using Coffey stills, only pot stills but the Japanese don’t have these rules. Thus, the Nikka Coffey Malt was born, a truly unique expression across the whisky industry. Pecans, caramel, spice, and vanilla all make the Coffey Malt a great whisky for beginners and connoisseurs alike.
Hakushu Distiller’s Reserve $71.00
We enter the single malt category once more with Hakushu. The “forest distillery” as it’s called, makes a spirit that is smokier and greener in flavour that other singles malts from Japan. If your mother likes drinks with a stronger, punchier character then this is the one. Green apples, mint, campfire smoke, and earthy notes define the Hakushu Distiller’s Reserve.
Ichiro’s Malt & Grain – $85.00
Ichiro’s Malt & Grain is made at the Chichibu distillery, Japan’s most loved and famous small distillery. Led by Ichiro Akuto, Chichibu whisky has become hugely collected and popular across the U.S. and Europe. The Malt & Grain is a blend consisting of malt whisky by Chichibu and grain whisky from other distilleries as Chichibu does not yet have the capacity to make their own grain spirit. Lively and fruity yet gentle and complex, this is a must for those wanting to experience the new whisky movement in Japan led by small distilleries.
Mars Maltage Cosmo – $75.00
Right after Chichibu, Mars whisky is the most popular in the small Japanese distiller category. The Japanese whisky in this blend was produced at the Shinshu Mars distillery that stands at an altitude of over 2,600 feet in the Japanese Alps. Scotch whisky was then blended in to create the sweet, fruity Mars Maltage “Cosmo.”
