Japanese Whiskey Reviews — Expert Ratings & Tasting Notes

92 reviews found

Blended Whisky

Nikka Days: The Japanese Highball Whisky — Light, Charming, Refreshing from Yoichi and Miyagikyo

Launched 2018 from Nikka's Miyagikyo and Yoichi distilleries. Designed specifically for easy-drinking and highballs — no...

Buy £37.00 Review

Ash Carrington April 10, 2026

Hibiki Japanese Harmony: Suntory's Answer to the 12 Year Old Shortage — Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita in Balance - Japanese Review

7.5 Review

Blended Whisky

Hibiki Japanese Harmony: Suntory's Answer to the 12 Year Old Shortage — Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita in Balance

Launched 2015 to replace the discontinued Hibiki 12 due to stock shortages from surging global demand. A blend drawing f...

Buy £75.00 Review

Ash Carrington April 10, 2026

Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt: Named After Japan's Whisky Father — Yoichi Peat Meets Miyagikyo Elegance - Japanese Review

7.5 Review

Blended Malt

Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt: Named After Japan's Whisky Father — Yoichi Peat Meets Miyagikyo Elegance

Named after founder Masataka Taketsuru, whose family owned a sake brewery dating to 1733. He trained as a chemist, trave...

Buy £60.00 Review

Ash Carrington April 10, 2026

Hibiki 17 Year Old: The Discontinued Masterpiece — Suntory's 24-Faceted Bottle of Japanese Harmony - Japanese Review

9 Review

Blended Whisky

Hibiki 17 Year Old: The Discontinued Masterpiece — Suntory's 24-Faceted Bottle of Japanese Harmony

Discontinued in 2018 due to soaring demand outstripping aged stock — one of the whisky world's most lamented losses. Mar...

Buy £699.00 Review

Ash Carrington April 10, 2026

Nikka Coffey Malt: 100% Malted Barley Through a Column Still — The Whisky That Shouldn't Exist, But Does Beautifully - Japanese Review

8 Review

Malt Whisky

Nikka Coffey Malt: 100% Malted Barley Through a Column Still — The Whisky That Shouldn't Exist, But Does Beautifully

Column stills are designed for grain whisky — running 100% malted barley through one is rare worldwide. But Nikka does i...

Buy £60.95 Review

Ash Carrington April 10, 2026

Hakushu 12 Year Old: Suntory's Forest Distillery in the Japanese Alps — Green, Herbal, and Lightly Peated at 700m Altitude - Japanese Review

8 Review

Single Malt

Hakushu 12 Year Old: Suntory's Forest Distillery in the Japanese Alps — Green, Herbal, and Lightly Peated at 700m Altitude

Suntory's forest distillery in the Japanese Southern Alps — built in 1973 by Keizo Saji, Suntory's second Master Blender...

Buy £149.95 Review

Ash Carrington April 10, 2026

Yamazaki 12 Year Old: Japan's First Whisky Distillery, Founded 1923 — Mizunara Oak, Bourbon, and Sherry in Harmony - Japanese Review

8.5 Review

Single Malt

Yamazaki 12 Year Old: Japan's First Whisky Distillery, Founded 1923 — Mizunara Oak, Bourbon, and Sherry in Harmony

From Japan's first and oldest malt whisky distillery, established 1923 by Shinjiro Torii on the outskirts of Osaka. Firs...

Buy £139.95 Review

Ash Carrington April 10, 2026

Nikka Coffey Grain: Masataka Taketsuru's Scottish Education — A 1963 Coffey Still Making Japan's Sweetest Whisky - Japanese Review

7.5 Review

Grain Whisky

Nikka Coffey Grain: Masataka Taketsuru's Scottish Education — A 1963 Coffey Still Making Japan's Sweetest Whisky

Masataka Taketsuru travelled to Scotland in 1918 to study whisky-making. At James Calder distillery in Bo'ness in 1919, ...

Buy £59.99 Review

Ash Carrington April 10, 2026

Suntory Toki: Time in a Glass — Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita Blended for the Perfect Japanese Highball - Japanese Review

7 Review

Blended Japanese

Suntory Toki: Time in a Glass — Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita Blended for the Perfect Japanese Highball

Toki means 'time' in Japanese — a blend of single malts from Yamazaki and Hakushu with single grain from Chita. Released...

Buy £32.25 Review

Ash Carrington April 10, 2026

Nikka From The Barrel: The Best Japanese Whisky You Can Actually Buy — 51.4% Marriage of Yoichi and Miyagikyo - Japanese Review

9 Review

Blended

Nikka From The Barrel: The Best Japanese Whisky You Can Actually Buy — 51.4% Marriage of Yoichi and Miyagikyo

The best Japanese whisky you can both find and afford — a marriage of malt from Yoichi Distillery and grain from Miyagik...

Buy £58.50 Review

Ash Carrington April 10, 2026

7.9 Review

Japanese

Hibiki 17 Year Old Whisky Japanese Blended Whisky

Hibiki 17 is Suntory's blended masterpiece — a seamless, elegant Japanese whisky with real depth and poise. Scarce and e...

Buy £750.00 Review

Ash Carrington March 15, 2026

7 Review

Whisky Review: Suntory Toki

Whisky Review: Suntory Toki is a solid, reliable pour with enough personality to keep things interesting. Here is what w...

Buy £30.49 Review

Ash Carrington February 28, 2026