I have tried a couple of Japanese whiskies, noteably in marathon session with four Japanese "Salarymen" in Osaka, who befriended me when I was in transit from the UK to Aus for the very first time. (I realised after 15 mins they wanted to practice their English on me, fair enough.)Japan has given the Scotch whisky industry a ‘wake up call’ - after a single malt from the Far East was named the best in the world.
Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask 2013 has been given the title by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible - which describes the drink as a work of ‘near incredible genius’.
For the first time, the 2015 edition of the renowned publication features no Scottish distillery in its top five.
And to rub salt in Scotland’s wounds, the auld enemy has won European Whisky of the Year - the honour going to Chapter 14 Not Peated, from the English Whisky Company.
The Yamazaki Single Malt, from Japan’s oldest distillery which dates back to 1923, was given 97.5 marks out of 100 by Murray - who hailed its ‘nose of exquisite boldness’ and finish of ‘light, teasing spice’.
Varieties of Scotch whisky has been named best in the world by Murray in two of the last three years - Old Pulteney’s 21 year-old single malt in 2012 and Glenmorangie Ealanta in 2014.
But the expert says that the emergence of such high quality overseas tipples should be a ‘wake up call’ for the Scottish industry.
He accused producers of taking their ‘eye off the ball’ adding that the Yamazaki drink is ‘a single malt which no Scotch can at the moment get anywhere near’.
I somehow accidentally convinced them that I was a something of a single malt connoisseur. We then spent the evening running the racks of the bar, (with them paying, I didn’t put my hand in my pocket all night, as their 'guest.') I gave them vivid and earthy descriptions of each malt, the distillery it was made at, the distilling process and each of the quirks of the process which gave each malt its distinctive flavour. All total bollocks of course.
Then they demanded my opinion of their home product, we tried a few, they were rather palatable.
One of them had to be carried to his room by his mate after passing out, the last I saw of the others they were asleep on the bar. I managed to get my flight the next day, but spent most of the journey in the toilet.
