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Over 500 years ago, some dudes in Scotland realized that if you boil up some barley and follow a few simple steps, you can create a concoction that does an incredibly efficient job of making you think you’re better at hitting the high notes on I Believe in a Thing Called Love than you really are. They may have never intended to make a drink for people to up their confidence at a karaoke bar, but whiskey (or “whisky,” depending on what we’re talking about) has gone on to take over the world.
The British Empire’s insistence to colonize the entire planet led to the drink being introduced in regions around the world, and over the past few centuries, plenty of signature variations have emerged. The Scottish variety is largely defined by its peatiness, while bourbon tends to be comparatively sweeter, and Irish whiskeys even more so. While a few countries have dominated the whiskey world for the past few centuries, there’s one that’s been flying a bit under the radar as far as most casual drinkers are concerned: Japan.
It took me a few years into my whiskey travels to come across the Japanese variety and I was instantly hooked. Inspired by scotch, the whiskey tends to be much more subtle in its smokiness with a sweetness that reminds me of its Irish counterparts.
If you haven’t had the chance to get your hands on Japanese whiskey, you might want to hurry up. According to Forbes, Suntory— the distillery who produced the highly-touted Hibiki— has announced they will be discontinuing its 17-year variation due to skyrocketing demand. Suntory had previously ceased production on its 12-year in 2015, and since then, has only offered bottles aged 17 years and older in addition to a non-aged version which, while good for the price point, definitely tastes its age (or lack thereof).
If you’re looking for an alternative, the Nikka distillery also puts out some fantastic spirits that, while still in demand, seem to be more readily available. However, if you manage to stumble across some Hibiki in the wild, feel free to tell yourself you’re investing by grabbing a bottle.