Time Is Officially Up For ‘Fake’ Japanese Whisky. What Now?

Something significant happened in the Japanese whisky world on March 31, 2024. You won’t read about it in many headlines or on social media, but it fundamentally shifts the way whisky producers in Japan can label their products. As of April 1, many brands from Japanese distilleries can no longer be labeled as “Japanese whisky,” and with good reason—some of these spirits weren’t fully distilled in Japan and worse yet, others weren’t technically whisky at all.

Japanese culture has always held a unique charm over the Western world, and their whisky is no exception. Demand for Japanese whisky has exploded over the last 15 years, and in an attempt to meet ever-increasing global demand, producers have responded with more and more export products. Thanks to almost non-existent guidelines, there was no formal definition governing Japanese whisky until the 2020s. With no oversight in place, many products from Japan were not all they claimed to be.

What Is ‘Fake’ Japanese Whisky?

The hallmarks of “fake” Japanese whisky fall into two main categories: sourcing from other countries and distillate made from rice.

In the case of sourcing, many products that were previously labeled as “Japanese whisky” actually contained whisky distilled in another country—usually Scotland or Canada. Nikka Whiskey Distilling Company purchased the Ben Nevis Distillery in 1989 after sourcing whisky from them for years prior to the acquisition. It has been long rumored that Ben Nevis whisky is a part of Nikka’s popular Whisky From The Barrel blended whisky expression and while nothing has been confirmed, the company removed the phrase “Japanese Whisky” from the label in 2021. Whatever whiskies are in that product, it’s likely that 100% of it is not distilled in Japan.

Japanese spirits producers used another popular loophole to get “Japanese whisky” into the hands of global consumers by labeling shochu as whisky. Shochu is a popular Japanese distilled spirit usually made from rice, but can legally be made from one of fifty approved base ingredients, including sweet potatoes, buckwheat, and brown sugar. Shochu is also fermented using koji, a mold cultivated on rice or other ingredients. Technically speaking, rice is considered a cereal grain, but it has rarely been used in the production of whisky and the flavor set is a vast departure from what most consumers expect from a grain-based whisky. If you see a bottle from a Japanese brand you don’t recognize and the product is labeled as a “single grain” whisky, there’s a good chance that spirit came from rice.

Tightening The Standards

Up until now, producers were able to utilize loose regulations to sell products labeled as “Japanese whisky” to unsuspecting consumers. In the late 2010s, distillers and advocates began working on a set of regulations to protect the heritage of traditional Japanese whisky.

On February 12, 2021, the Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association published an official labeling standards document to formally define the category. As specified in these new guidelines, to be labeled as Japanese whisky, a product must adhere to the following specifications:

• Raw ingredients: Raw ingredients must be limited to malted grains, other cereal grains, and water extracted in Japan. Malted grains must always be used.
• Production: Saccharification, fermentation, and distillation must be carried out at a distillery in Japan. Alcohol content at the time of distillation must be less than 95%
• Aging: The distilled product must be poured into wooden casks not exceeding a capacity of 700 liters and matured in Japan for a period of at least 3 years thereafter.
• Bottling: Bottling must take place only in Japan, with [an] alcoholic strength of at least 40% as of such time.
• Other: Plain caramel coloring can be used.

In other words, Japanese whisky must be made from traditional whisky-making grains that are fermented, distilled, and aged in Japan. Equally as important, these new guidelines also include rules that prohibit the use of misleading labeling that may suggest that a non-compliant product is true Japanese whisky. These include people, cities, regions, mountains or anything that a consumer would typically associate with Japan or Japanese culture. Gone are the days of brands putting a samurai on their packaging for credibility’s sake.

When the standards were published in 2021, the rules went into effect immediately for new brands, while existing brands were given three years to adhere to these criteria. Now that this grace period has passed, all producers in Japan must be in compliance. Over time, these regulations will hopefully pave the way for greater transparency, authenticity and quality within the industry. Welcome to a new era of true Japanese whisky.

What’s Next For Japanese Whisky?

Japanese whisky celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2023, and while exports fell in 2023 (the first decline for the category in fifteen years), the market segment as a whole is the strongest it has ever been. With new standards in place to protect the category, a combination of legacy players, distillery revivals and craft distilleries will carry the flag of whisky distilled, aged and bottled in Japan.

With the definition of the category more clearly defined, expect more products from stalwart producers like Suntory, Nikka, Eigashima and Mars (Shinshu). Chichibu distillery’s product line continues to lead the Japanese craft whisky movement and almost two decades after closing their doors, the legendary Hanyu distillery restarted distilling operations in 2021. Meanwhile, dozens of new-wave Japanese whisky distilleries have stocks aging just in time for the new regulations to take effect, including Mars Tsunuki, Asaka, Kanosuke and Shizuoka.

As for the myriad of products that can no longer be labeled as “Japanese whisky,” expect some of these expressions to stick around with updated packaging. For casual consumers, these labeling changes may not dissuade the purchase of bottles that don’t fit the new standards, but if transparency and credibility are important to you, those two magic words now serve as a seal of authenticity.

When in doubt, just look for the label.