Japanese whisky enthusiasts will recognise Nikka – one of Japan’s most respected and long-standing distilleries.
Founded in 1934 by Masataka Taketsuru, who was inspired by Scotch whisky, Nikka has spent 90 years perfecting its craft. At this year’s Decanter Fine Wine Encounter (DFWE) in Singapore, Diego Araud, director of La Maison du Whisky, will lead a tasting of five unique Nikka expressions, showcasing the distillery’s innovation.
Here Ch’ng Poh Tiong catches up with Araud ahead of his DFWE appearance.
Japanese whisky has taken the world by storm in the last few years. Why has this occurred?
I think there are a few reasons Japanese whisky has completely exploded in the past 15 years. Actually, Japanese whisky is not something that just started 20 years ago although it has taken a good five years to be on everyone’s lips. Japanese whisky has been around for about 100 years. And that’s what we’re celebrating this year with the 90th anniversary of Nikka Whisky, going back through the history of this wonderful producer.
So, it’s actually a much older craft than what most people think. It’s true it has been a massive success in the past 10, 15, maybe 20 years. I think the reason is because overall whisky has been doing very, very well all over the world during that time. American whiskey is taking a little bit longer, but it’s exploded in the past few years as well. We see Irish whiskey coming back on the map. It’s been a really
