Page 44 - Beverage Master_OctNov 2021

International News

In terms of casks, Suntory and Nikka have some- sions in 2016,” confirms Tomoyoshi confirms. “This
what similar approaches. “We both import and was due to many factors, such as the Nikka 80th
make our casks,” informs Tomoyoshi. “We have a anniversary in 2014 along with strong - yet organ-
cooperage in each distillery maintaining casks of ic - growth in foreign markets. Above all, the most
different sizes and types of wood. We also source impactful factor was the domestic Nikka fever
various types of casks from around the world, caused by the NHK TV series Massan. This was
including ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. All unpredictable and sudden.”
refurbishing and re-charring of the casks are done
in-house in our cooperages.” Massan was an Asadora - a “morning drama” -
that ran from September 29th, 2014, until March
Suntory uses a range, from ex-bourbon to 28th, 2015. Based on the lives of Masataka
American white oak and Spanish oloroso sherry Taketsuruand and his Scottish wife Jessie Roberta
casks. The company’s in-house cooperage also fash- “Rita” Cowan, it detailed the creation of Nikka
ions barrels from Japanese Mizunara oak. “It is a Whisky…and landed a huge audience not only for
very tight-grained oak that only grows in the North the series, but for Nikka’s whiskies as well.
Island,” Dunn explains, noting that it matures very
slowly and imparts notes of oriental incense, spice
and coconut to the finished whisky.

When it comes to whisky, distillers know that the
shape and size are crucial in forming the character
of the finished product. The copper pot stills used
by Nikka Whisky were crafted in Japan and are of
varying sizes. “All stills are slightly different from
each other, which enable us to produce a wider
variety of styles,” informs Tomoyoshi. “In gener-
al, the stills at Yoichi Distillery are smaller, with a
straight neck and descending line arm. The stills at
Miyagikyo are larger, with a bulge neck and ascend-
ing line arm.” Though they may currently be a little scarce in
some international markets, Japanese whiskies are
Suntory operates two sets of eight distinctly worth pursuing. They offer the best qualities of
shaped stills. As any distiller will attest, the size and their Scottish counterparts — including complexi-
shape of a still significantly impacts the spirit it pro- ty, harmony and great depth of character — along
duces, and the varying sizes employed by Nikka and with certain exotic aspects that distinguish them as
Suntory no doubt play a role in crafting the unique unique, different, and worthy of the accolades they
character of the individual whiskies. have garnered both in the Far East and around the
globe.
While Japan’s whiskies have experienced a spike
in popularity, the industry itself, like those in other
countries, has weathered ups and downs. The
whisky boom of the 1970s and early 1980s gave
way to a slump in domestic whisky sales by the late
’80s, resulting in the closure of several distilleries.
However, the international acclaim Japanese whis-
kies have since garnered has led to a resurgence
in interest. A lot of interest, in fact. In the case of
Nikka, a few factors combined to create the perfect
storm surge of popularity. A surge so strong that
it resulted in the discontinuation of age-statement
whiskies.

“We delisted most of our age-statement expres-

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