Japanese Whisky: The Ultimate Guide to the World's Most Desirable Spirit with Tasting Notes from Japan's Leading Whisky Blogger

(Hardback)

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*Winner of a 2019 Gourmand World Cookbook Award*

Japanese whisky has been around for less than a century but is now winning all the major international awards. How did this happen and what are the secrets of the master distillers This whisky book divulges these secrets for the first time.

Japanese Whisky features never-before-published archival images and interviews chronicling the forgotten stories of Japan's pioneering whisky makers. It reveals the unique materials and methods used by the Japanese distillers including mizunara wood, Japanese barley, and novel only-in-Japan production methods. It also examines the close cultural connections between Japanese whisky drinkers and their favorite tipples. For the first time in English, this book presents over a hundred independently scored whisky tastings from leading Japanese whisky blogger, Yuji Kawasaki, shedding new light on Japan's most famous single malts as well as grain whiskies and blends.

Japan expert Brian Ashcraft and photographer Idzuhiko Ueda crisscrossed Japan visiting all the major makers to talk about past and present whisky distillers, blenders, and coopers. This Japanese whisky bible features their exclusive interviews with the people involved in the early beginnings of the Japanese whisky industry over seventy years ago. Japanese Whisky not only explains how the country's award-winning whiskies are made but also the complete whisky history and culture, so readers can truly appreciate the subtle Japanese whiskies they're drinking and buying. Kanpai!

"Ashcraft'sJapanese Whisky: The Ultimate Guide to the World's Most Desirable Spiritproves to be an extremely valuable source of information. Not only does Ashcraft cover the whisky-making process in great detail, he also dives a bit into Japanese drinking culture. []Japanese Whiskyis the Yellow Brick Road on your journey of discovery into Japanese whisky. It will guide you into a great appreciation for the spirit."AdventuresInWhisky.com

"Ashcraft and Kawasaki's book is a feast for the eyes. [] Japanese Whiskyneeds a place on your wine and spirits shelf."Book Riot

"this book unequivocally belongs in any serious whisky drinker's library." Tara Nurin, Forbes

"beautifully designed, making it both easy to navigate and easy to read. It's hard to imagine a more thorough guide to the fascinating subject of Japanese whisky. It's a credit to all concerned." Travel Distilled blog

Reviews

"Brian Ashcraft's guide to Japanese whisky takes you into the kind of detail you need to make a real buying decision. What does the whisky taste like, who actually makes it, how is it made It's all here, in an engaging, well-organized guide." --Lew Bryson, author of Tasting Whiskey
"Recommended reading" -- BBC Radio
"A comprehensive look at Japanese whisky and, through it, key aspects of Japanese culture. Enjoyable reading, whether you're taking your first tipple or are a Japanese whisky aficionado." --Anna Fifield, Tokyo bureau chief, The Washington Post

Author Bio

Brian Ashcraft is a former senior writer for the video-game site Kotaku and columnist at The Japan Times. Ashcraft was previously a contributing editor at Wired magazine; his work has also appeared in Popular Science, the Guardian, and the design journal Metropolis, as well as numerous other publications worldwide. He has authored several books on Japanese culture, including Japanese Tattoos: History * Culture * Design. Originally from Texas, he called Osaka home from 2001 until returning to Dallas in 2022.

Whisky reviewer Yuji Kawasaki launched his leading Japanese-language blog One More Glass of Whisky in 2013 after feeling that there weren't enough independent voices in the country's online whisky community. His blog is one of the most popular sites for whisky tasting notes.

Photographer Idzuhiko Ueda has been documenting Japan's traditional arts from bunraku to its local sake production for over three decades. He currently runs his own photography studio, specializing in architectural photography.

Foreword writer Lew Bryson has been writing about beer and spirits for over 20 years and was the editor of Whisky Advocate magazine from 1996 to 2015. He is the author of six books including the bestseller, Tasting Whiskey--a synthesis of over two decades of writing about this amazing drink. He lives in Bucks County, PA, just north of Philadelphia.