Japanese Whisky
Japanese whisky was first produced in Japan in 1923 at the Yamazaki distillery, followed closely by Yoichi on the northern Island of Hokkaido. While the majority of whisky sold and consumed within Japan was often a blend of local and imported Scotch, the popularity of Japanese-distilled single malt in the mid 2000's saw rise to a number of now-iconic independent producers such as Ichiro Akuto's Chichibu. Today, there are over 45 distilleries around Japan, from the sizeable corporate owned to tiny craft distilleries.