The end of fake Japanese Whisky is here, but does it matter?!

SPOILER ALERT: It does. Is this the end of fake Japanese whisky?!? Japan's whisky regulations are changing! What exactly do they mean, and why does it matter? Do they go far enough? What will be the impact for Japanese Whisky lovers and the industry? And what the hell is Japanese Whisky anyway?
The Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association has announced a new set of regulations for products labelled as ‘Japanese whisky’, which are sometimes not very Japanese at all!
Watch to find out more in the latest video from Kanpai Planet, bringing you the world of Japanese drinks, one sip at a time.
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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Why are Japanese whisky rules changing?
1:38 What are the new standards?
3:34 Impact of the new Japanese Whisky rules
8:37 What is Japanese Whisky?
9:30 Do these changes matter?
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#JapaneseWhisky #Whiskey #Whisky

[@y463n5]

Wow! you have a lot of knowledge about Japanese Whisky!! A couple of the decades ago, almost no Westerner did not know the fact that my country produces some Whiskey however, I can find a Western Japanese Whiskey expert like you with great astonishment!

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Thank you very much for your kind words Yasuda-san. Please feel free to share the video far and wide. I hope you enjoy the Foo Fighters video too! kzbin.info/www/bejne/qnnaomd9pMqpnqs

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Kanpai! Let us know your thoughts? Is this going to change how you buy Japanese whisky? Please like and sub for more! We want YOU in our community of Japanese drinks fans, and we're just getting started

[@kojikawaguchi4540]

Another great educational video is here ! I, Japanese, can learn a lot with KANPAI PLANET.

[@KanpaiPlanet]

ありがとうございます！

[@cliffnorman178]

Thanks for such a great video and clarification of Japanese whisky. It is by far the best explanation ever.

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Thanks for your motivating comment Cliff. I really appreciate it. Please feel free to share the video far and wide!

[@NoNonsenseWhisky]

Way to hit the ground running! Welcome to WhiskyTube

[@KanpaiPlanet]

That feeling when one of your favourite KZbinrs comments on your video! Thanks so much Vin. Honoured to be in the same company as a legend like yourself.

[@NoNonsenseWhisky]

@@KanpaiPlanet my friend, if you keep this level of quality up you'll be flying past me in no time.

[@andiihuynh4240]

Thank you! Great video! Easy to watch

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Glad you enjoyed it Andy! Please subscribe for more etc etc etc 😂

[@user-lu3rv5mj3l]

Great roundup! It covers most I was worried about

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Thank you so much for your support. Interesting times for Japanese whisky indeed!

[@benchurchill625]

Fascinating. More please!

[@KanpaiPlanet]

On it! As you can image, producing videos like this take a long time, so please feel free to share this far and wide! Kanpai!

[@Keshu]

@@KanpaiPlanet If all that drinking gets in the way of editing, I'm sure you can find a few volunteers :D

[@KanpaiPlanet]

It's thirsty work. Not many can keep up!

[@MrDJKSupreme]

New viewer here, loved the information and insight on future regs

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Thanks so much for liking, commenting and subscribing Kasey. Glad you enjoyed it. Please share far and wide! Honoured to have you as part of our growing community.

[@chadclarktravelventures7560]

Mac! Well done and extremely informative. Thank you for sharing and I look forward to the next episode!

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Thank you Chad. Hope you’re subscribed for more!

[@RomanYankin]

Great episode - very insightful!

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Thank you Roman for watching! Glad you enjoyed it and found it edutaining!

[@tdrexplorer]

Now I want whiskey ...

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Never a bad time my friend!

[@theteacrane]

Interesting!

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Glad you think so! Thanks for watching!

[@WhiskeyQuests]

I don’t mind that they resorted to sourcing whisky as long as it’s blended with Japanese distillate. But they should 100% disclose it on the label. And definitely sourcing and bottling it and calling scotch, a Japanese whisky for sure is a big No No for me. if we want scotch we will buy scotch. Whole point of whiskey is to taste what other regions are capable of distilling and setting themselves apart from other countries/regions.

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Completely agree. Transparency is key. If you're interested in what's happened in the last year, I published an update here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p37Pm3anqtilidU

[@MariannaVlogs]

This is such an excellent explanation! 🤩 I get a lot of questions about various Japanese alcohols and I will redirect them to your channel ❤️

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Glad it was helpful! Happy to help you and your fans learn more about Japanese drinks! Kanpai!

[@dudleywright4990]

Well done! And the Simpsons just take it to the next level.

[@KanpaiPlanet]

The phrase seemed very apt! Thanks always for your continuous support!

[@JeffWhisky]

Brilliant video and one of the best descriptions of the change in Japanese Whisky regulations.

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Thank you very much! Please share it far and wide!

[@stepheng7008]

Great video! Informative, easy to follow and the history is fascinating. I don't drink video but may have to start on my next trip to Japan.

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Thank you very much Stephen! Looks like you have something more to look forward to on your next trip to Japan! Please check out the other videos on the channel and subscribe for more! Kanpai!

[@budj13]

The permutations possible are enormous and complex. It all becomes simple with complete transparent disclosure. Let people know what is in it and the consumer makes the choice with confidence that they are not being tricked. Great video!

[@KanpaiPlanet]

That is exactly the point Bud. For me, it's almost identical to the requirement to put the ingredients on the label of a food or drink. BTW, if you enjoyed this, watch the '6 months on' follow up here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p37Pm3anqtilidU

[@alexk3088]

Water extracted in Japan is a nice touch, but allowing E150a was a huge opportunity missed. I might buy Japanese whisky a few years later.

[@KanpaiPlanet]

I do like the 'Japan water' angle - it ties into conversations about sake and terroir too.

[@Tokyofreelance]

Very nicely done.

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Thank you so much Rob! Kanpai!

[@doctorg2571]

Great review, well researched. Thank you :)

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Thank you for watching and commenting Doctor G. Lots more whisky content on the channel, with more coming. Please subscribe for more, and share with all your friends!

[@PrestigeLiquidsWW]

I continue to love your content. Thank you for being able to express these issues in a way that we can all understand. And yes, you hit the nail on the head. I personally don't care where the whisky comes from, so long as it tastes good, but transparency is very important. I do not necessarily need to know the nitty gritty details of where the whisky comes from, I just want to know if it is made in Japan or if it is a world blend. Kippis.

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Exactly right Andrew. Transparency is the key. And thanks for the kind words about the content. Stay tuned for much more in 2022!

[@stvsueoka1]

Such great information!!!

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Glad it was helpful! There is a follow up video I made 6 months on: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p37Pm3anqtilidU Please check it out!

[@alexk3088]

As a whisky geek I never had much interest in Japanese whisky. Thank you for your video. It helped "distill" why I still don't care. Japan could and should be like a Pacific version of Scotland in terms of whisky. Too bad it's more like Canada.

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Thanks for watching and commenting. It's slow progress, but things are beginning to change. Check this video out for an update: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p37Pm3anqtilidU

[@erebus79]

Yeah "Japanese" whisky is a mirage really.

[@McIntyresMalts]

A great and important video, thank you mate!

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Thank YOU for watching and commenting!

[@madeirafonseca6383]

Thank you so much for disseminating your wealth of information. I was excited to start exploring Japanese whisky until I found out they were not being honest with their customers. I hate being lied to! Unfortunately, Japan has tarnished their reputation on this subject from the outset. Therefore, I refuse to buy Japanese whisky until they can guarantee an acceptable level of transparency. I will gladly stick with scotch currently. The Scots understand that whisky is serious business. Thanks for the heads-up on Compass Box; I will definitely be exploring them.

[@KanpaiPlanet]

My pleasure. I fully appreciate your feelings on Japanese whisky. They key is transparency and hopefully these new standards help us get there. Thanks for watching Madeira. There are currently two other videos on the channel about Japanese whisky. Hope you enjoy them too. Please subscribe to the channel and share far and wide - it really helps me out! We want everyone to be part of the Kanpai Planet community!

[@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies]

Saw you on Aqvavitae’s livestream and subscribed. Great video!

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Thank you Erik. Great to see you here! I've been a long time subscriber to your channel and have learnt a lot from your content. Kanpai!

[@cascaderetriever7618]

Great video!

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Thank you! Please consider supporting Kanpai Planet at buymeacoff.ee/kanpaiplanet Kanpai! 🥃🥃🥃

[@RebMordechaiReviews]

Thank you. This gives me a good foundation to understand the new "regulations", or should I say, voluntary guidelines, for, as you said at 3:10 , there is as yet "no penalty for non compliance" or government enforcement of these rules. Now, July, 2022, is there any progress in incorporating these regulations into Japanese law?

[@KanpaiPlanet]

As the National Tax Agency is the main driver of alcohol regulation in this country, then as long as they get their money they are not incentivised to drive change.

[@likenem]

Thats crazy because the coffey Malt is my favorite whiskey

[@KanpaiPlanet]

It's still a fantastic dram!

[@likenem]

@@KanpaiPlanet I gotta Bottle on the way.

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Kanpai!

[@Siriusly_Sirius]

E150a colorant - boo! 😅 Transparency, yay! Great information for us whisk(e)y aficionados! Thanks so much. And shoutout to the Trash Taste crew for introducing me to you. 😃 Edit: Are there barrel-entry proof/ABV requirements? Just curious because I know that here in the US, bourbon new make can’t exceed 62.5 ABV when being barreled. Also, love my Hibiki Harmony. So good.

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Trash Taste fam represent! Great question, and the answer is no. No fill strength requirements in Japan. Enjoy the Hibiki. If you want to learn more about it, check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3i1oJ1miL2Zqrc

[@GregsWhiskyGuide]

Haha excellent (I laughed when i saw your added label to Nikka FTB....), well done as well ! I love Japanese Whisky & I love Ben Nevis. Thanks for pointing out for us several details we might have missed (me too...1968 ! really ?, amazing). Curious of your next videos...

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Every time I need to pull out that fact, I have to triple check it, because something deep down of me cannot believe that is was indeed in 1968 that whisky in Japan became... err.... whisky, and even then it could contain the smallest percentage and still pass the test!

[@GregsWhiskyGuide]

@@KanpaiPlanet I believe you...What if I was telling you that Highland Park 12 yo only first appeared in 1992 ? It was the same surprise for me when I was told that...Sure, a less critical issue...Now lots of people since I do my own video about J.P. are asking me brand & even expressions names that aren't Japanese, but even if some people state it on some websites, I cannot be totally sure of all what I find, so I did dropped a few names when I was sure about it, strange situation indeed...especially about the recent brands appearing in EU market...Painful to see how people in my local supermarket are ready to pay for fancy Kanjis...but often average non J. content..

[@KanpaiPlanet]

It's a terrible situation that we have got ourselves into in Japan. Although the big players are now helping us get out of it, it was also to some extent the big players who got us into this mess. I like your comment "pay for fancy kanjis". I might steal that one... 🤓

[@GregsWhiskyGuide]

@@KanpaiPlanet Yep...and I still can't believe those big players didn't anticipate things to produce more before the 2015 shortage...I suspect it is due to their lack of communication with big distributors in the know of the trends & sought after references (La MDW/TWE to name a few)....Also we might have been too much used since the 2000s here in EU to enjoy bottlings that inevitably would have gone higher in price, hence the superior quality of at least some (i'm thinking of Yoichi, here, for instance, my second favorite whisky distillery world wide !

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Unfortunately, part of it was the conflation of factors at the start of the century. By 2000, domestic demand for whisky had been falling for almost 20 straight years! This, coupled with the demographic and economic outlook led to some reactive business decisions which, with the benefit of hindsight seem insane because fast forward and Japanese whisky started winning international recognition, the stock market rallied, the yen weakened and tourism went from 5mn visitors a year to almost 32mn in 2019!

[@willemkilian9563]

There is still a lot of confusion, and they have a long way to go, but the guidelines from the JSLMA are a good first step.

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Baby steps, and 6 months later baby steps!

[@Themilkmanskid.]

Just a request: could you please review Kaiyo the Signature one? Maybe a review comparing all the Kaiyo styles would be great! I discovered the Signature one awhile back and finally bought a bottle. The malted barley flavor is a big hit with me as well as the mizunara oak touch. Great stuff! Kanpai!

[@KanpaiPlanet]

I will add it to the incredibly long pipeline! Kanpai!

[@Themilkmanskid.]

@@KanpaiPlanet I figured, but am appreciative and positively looking forward as I have found another great one! Thank you. Kanpai!

[@KanpaiPlanet]

🥃🥃🥃

[@TheCultureCave]

Nice work Mac

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Thank you! Please subscribe for more, and share these videos with all your drinks-loving friends! Kanpai! 🥃

[@macallanfinerare2552]

Nikka FTB is a cheap way of getting some otherwise very expensive Ben Nevis! 😁

[@KanpaiPlanet]

That's an excellent way of looking at it!

[@Adrian802]

well it only cost $25 inside of Japan

[@smashexentertainment676]

I don't see anyone else releasing Hibiki Harmony, Nikka from the Barrel, Coffey Grain and Malt. So I couldn't care less where and how they were produced as long as I can have a bottle of each in my bar. In the end it all comes down to the content. No matter how authentic it is, if it's bad, no one's gonna drink it. I've tried many scotches and bourbons and to be honest my absolute favorite whiskey is from small Finnish distillery Teerenpeli. Closely followed by peat bombs like Octomore.

[@KanpaiPlanet]

At the end of the day, it's all about the drinks and how they taste! Thanks for watching and commenting. I will have to try and get a bottle of Teerenpeli!

[@fdgjop36]

Had a few of things for the price Esp nikka from barrel Chita is good As a guide to japanese whusky the reviews are excellent

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Thank you so much for your support! We're just getting started. Please help us grow by sharing our videos. It is truly appreciated.

[@fdgjop36]

@@KanpaiPlanet rate my take away and salt bae are the big trend ones More word of mouth Or if you appear in suggestions Me I tend to find things Use a lot of news feeds Esp for the olympics Tik tok instagram Industry mag feeds are good

[@KanpaiPlanet]

I'll keep working on it. Thanks for the great advice!

[@fdgjop36]

@@KanpaiPlanet amazon japan Had some obv secondary sellers Prob will be in a hotel or bar Not sure about duty free with translate makes it easy Ebay and amazon you may see stuff Or try diff search engines Any good bar has japanese stuff why its the best

[@fdgjop36]

@@KanpaiPlanet advice You do a good job

[@djscottdog1]

If the spirit tastes good then it doesnt matter what the lable says unless they charge a premium for said lable

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Great to have different opinions about 🥃

[@GrantMcWilliams]

02:43 Rice is grain. As long as some malted grain is included it's whisky under the standards. As you said, these are not laws, they're self-policed standards. 06:05 The definition of whisky being only comprised of grains is not universal like a lot of people think. Even though Scotland and Ireland have been making "whisky" for 400 years they were still debating over the definition of whisky just 100 years ago. A lot of people from English speaking countries assume whisky only means spirits distilled from grains but the rest of the world may not always agree. In fact about 8 countries in the world define whisky as being made entirely from grain. India is the largest whisky producing country in the world and does not. However, to sell whisky in a market that defines it as being only made from grain, it has to follow those standards.

[@KanpaiPlanet]

02:43 Correct! The point is that cask-aged shochu is not whisky under JSLMA standards but can be labelled whisky under TTB regulations. One of the bottles in Essence of Suntory Volume 4 was a whisky made at their Osumi Distillery from 100% malted rice. 06:05 Even more recently, changes have been made. Many don't realize that seeing the word malt on a bottle not only implies that it is made with 100% malted barley but also that it has been made in a pot still. Hence Nikka Coffey Malt is not a malt whisky. The issue continues in Japan where you can buy a bottle of 'whisky' that contains 10% malt whisky and 90% coloured neutral spirit or redistilled molasses. While definitions around what exactly a certain drink is have been, are and will continue to be finessed, there is also a certain Common Sense approach that needs to be adopted. To paraphrase a term from the High Court case against Equitable Life, these can be considered to be 'Drinkers' Reasonable Expectations'. For example, most reasonable people would accept that apple juice is not whisky or brown coloured wine is not whisky. 🥃🥃🥃

[@GrantMcWilliams]

​@@KanpaiPlanet "Many don't realize that seeing the word malt on a bottle not only implies that it is made with 100% malted barley but also that it has been made in a pot still. Hence Nikka Coffey Malt is not a malt whisky. " You're referring to Scottish regulations or Japanese? Malt in the strictest sense doesn't mean anything other than the grain has been malted, you can in fact malt any grain although not to the benefit of Malted barley. In Scottish regulations they use the word Malt only for Malted Barley which is somewhat irritating. Frustratingly they also use the word "grain" for column still whisky even though malted barley distilled in a pot still is still a grain whisky scientifically but not to the SWA. Even certifications such as IBD's use the those words to mean something they don't. I was trained in Scottish Whisky and often reflect back and ask wha? Some of this is just history but at some point I think they probably need to realize the rest of the world exists and take the blinders off. If a whisky is made from Malted barley they should say it's made from Malted Barley. If it's made from Malted Wheat they should say it's made from Malted Wheat etc... A lot of the stigma in Scottish whisky towards blends originates right there. A blend can be 100% single malt that just came from different distilleries although under regulations it falls into the category of Blended Malt which a lot of people read as Blended Whisky which hilarious enough could have "grain" in it. For consumers it's all very confusing. Japan has the opportunity to not make a mess of it. Hopefully they take that opportunity and realize that Malted barley distilled in a Coffey still is in fact malt whisky.

[@GrantMcWilliams]

@@KanpaiPlanet BTW, don't read into any of my comments as criticism to you. More along the lines of "it's a minefield trying to navigate labels and regulations". You're doing a great job.

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Thank you. I completely agree that Japan should not be so wedded to Scottish tradition and regulation. In fact, it isn't when it comes to cask types. On my whiskey tours I spend a lot of time explaining what precisely the term Single Malt, Blended and Blended Malt truly mean when on a bottle. And I completely agree that mashbills should be more clearly stated! The issue we have is that the laws in Japan stipulate almost nothing. And these industry standards have no legal bearing. Then we have this overlay of Scottish traditon and regulation. It leads to one big hot mess!

[@GrantMcWilliams]

@@KanpaiPlanet The benefit/cost is tricky to figure out when it comes to regulations. Without them you can't convince people of quality because there will be shit*y products on the market and good products with the same label. However with too many regulations it can hamstring creativity. I love how they play with casks in Ireland and also single pot still with malted and unmalted barley. You can make any type of "Scotch" in Ireland but you can't make any type of Irish whisky in Scotland. I think this will play well for Ireland in the future. The regulations aren't too loose but aren't too tight. We were eyeing property for a distillery in my family's original land area in SW Scotland but I'm certain that I can't make what I want in Scotland or at least they'd never let me sell it. We may end up building the distillery elsewhere. Having said all of that I still like Scotch and am glad I learned within possibly the most mature whisky making system in the world.

[@ramenadventure]

I really wish you would put a little more research into your videos. 😂

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Edutainment is my middle name

[@Adrian802]

I have the Nikka from the Barrel, Kurayoshi pure malt 17, and Nikka Coffey Malt. Would I shoot myself in the foot? Nah. At least the old blends will get harder and harder to find. Well it's kinda hard to find stuff these days.

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Hey Adrian. The key point is provenance and transparency. I think the whisky community is a little more forgiving of some Ben Nevis in NFTB vs what Kurayoshi have done with bottle branding. Thanks for watching and commenting. Please subscribe for more!

[@Adrian802]

@@KanpaiPlanet for purist, they might turn their nose away. The fact is that most got global acclaim. Cheers.

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Kanpai!

[@QuickQuips]

Dang my favorite japanese whisky (Nikka from the Barrel) is not japanese whisky.

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Still a great dram though. Kanpai! 🥃

[@QuickQuips]

@@KanpaiPlanet very true. Blew my mind it was only 2300 yen at a grocery store in Osaka for 500ml. 750ml in the US varies between 75 to 200.

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Domestic pricing for the win! 💸💸💸

[@raymondlawson2301]

👏🍻

[@KanpaiPlanet]

乾杯 ！🥃🥃🥃

[@olivierbeltrami]

I have evangelized many to the wonderful world of Whisky using a bottle of Nikka From The Barrel.

[@KanpaiPlanet]

It's a great drop. There's a very extended version of my Nikka Whisky From The Barrel Ultimate Guide available to supporters at buymeacoffee.com/kanpaiplanet! Please consider helping this channel. Kanpai!

[@scottyblog]

It’s still not all Japanese. They are mixing in scotch with younger Japanese distillate. When people rave about Japanese whisky I always laugh. While a great many releases have been good in the past. The Japanese are still a long way from the Scots in regards to breadth and depth of spirits. I’ll take a well aged bourbon at a fraction of the price over Japanese any day….

[@KanpaiPlanet]

The use of Scotch in some whiskies is not going away. The goal of the standards is to make sure this is not labelled as 'Japanese Whisky'

[@scottyblog]

@@KanpaiPlanet Right. Labeling is one thing. Intrinsic value of Japanese whisky is another. The solid quality aged stocks are depleted. What’s left is marketing and subpar so called premium product. Nose and mouth experience shows that.

[@annaswenson6184]

Nikka coffey malt is Japan whisky. Wrong information from start 🤨

[@KanpaiPlanet]

Hi Anna. Please check the Nikka website: www.nikka.com/eng/brands/coffey-grain-malt/ Subscribe for more. Enjoy, and Kanpai!

[@erebus79]

No it's not

[@KanpaiPlanet]

🥃🥃🥃