A blog devoted to news on the world of Scotch Malt Whisky and Whiskey
From the category archives:
In January I wrote a short piece on Ulf Buxrud’s new book – Japanese Whisky – Facts, Figures and Taste. Now ulf has published more information on how to get the book. So if you’re into Japanese Whisky or wan’t to get into it. Head over to his site for more information.
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Ulf Buxrud, Keeper of the Quaich is releasing a guide to Japanese Whisky.
The book is Ulf’s endeavor to document the facts and figures of a formative and exciting segment of the Japanese whisky industry. It is also an attempt to mirror the arduous work and joy surrounding the rise of a trade that became an industry on its own merits.
The ‘Japanese Whisky’ portrays all distilleries involved in the foundation of a unique chapter in the global history of whisky making. Some of these entities are gone, others are still operating at full steam. Each of the distillery portraits contains histories and comprehensive technical data, some never published before.
It also includes a special segment maps a vast number of whisky versions produced over the years. Tasting notes, photo documentation and comments are included for each of them.
The book also features plenty of side information such as how to travel and visit distilleries, the Japanese whisky bar culture, how to and where to find Japanese whiskies and much more is highlighted in the book.
Ulf has set up a web site where more information will be available soon.
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The Stockholm Beer & Whisky Festival is coming up this weekend. And Ichiro Akuto, grandson of Isouji Akuto who founded the distillery Hanyu, will lead you and many more in a trial to set a new World Record in mass tasting.
The company Toa Shuzou, owned by the family Akuto, who had brewed Sake in the city of Chichibu since the middle of the 16th century, decided 1941 to distill alcohol. The city of Hanyu, northwest of Tokyo was chosen for the new distillery. After some years of making Shochu – Japanese aquavit, Hanyu in 1980 bought two pot-stills and started the production of whisky. Then 1990, after some years of making blended whisky, Hanyu launched the single malt Chichibu. Sadly, only 10 years later the distillery first had to be shut down, and then was demolished.
Ichiro Akuto grandson of Isouji Akuto who founded Hanyu, luckily was able to buy the remaining stock of casks. Since then his bottlings has drawn a lot of attention.
Now Ichiro has started to assemble the old distilling equipment. It’s reported that he has picked a new site and is in the midst of building a new distillery.
Head over to good friend Chris at Nonjatta for an extended story on Hanyu and Ichiro Akuto.
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This week, Jinro Ballantines, the South Korean unit of Pernod Ricard, will launch “Imperial 17,†which maintains the smooth taste and legitimacy of the super premium whisky.
To support the launch the Imperial has been given a brand new look. It features a bold, confident exterior to enhance the brand image as a successful, magnetic and masculine brand.
Anthony J. Budd, marketing director of the Jinro Ballantines says Imperial will launch a new advertising campaign beginning in mid-June to support the newly designed bottle.
There are also plans to launch promotional events and other massive advertisement campaigns through the Imperial Web site.


“Since consumers look for more of an emotional connection to their whisky brand, we will focus on the activity that appeals to them through the launch of the new bottle design and the introduction of advertising campaigns using celebrities who match Imperial’s brand image as a pioneer and a leader,” Budd said.

Source: Korea Times
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According to multiple sources around the world, this is the ultimate guide to Scottish whisky distilleries, painstakingly researched by Misako Udo: a vital accessory for any dedicated whisky lover. With nearly a hundred working whisky distilleries in Scotland – and hundreds more that have shut down and been lost over the long centuries of Scotland’s infatuation with uisge beatha – there’s a great deal of information to cover and The Scottish Whisky Distilleries is the most thorough and meticulous cataloguing of the whisky industry in Scotland that there has ever been.
Misako Udo was so smitten by the aura of Scotch whisky as a teenager in Japan that she travelled halfway round the world to live in a strange country in which she knew no one, just to be close to its origin. She began to work as a tour guide and has now been a member of the Scottish Tourist Guides Association for fifteen years, working with Japanese visitors to Scotland. She has guided everyone from ordinary tourists to whisky-industrial professionals and is an internationally recognised authority on Scottish whisky. After seventeen years in Scotland she has forsaken her Japanese passport and become a British citizen.
The Scottish Whisky Distilleries by Udo (Black & White Publishing) is out now
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