Japanese whisky: what is real, what is worth it
Japanese whisky had no legal definition until recently, and the industry standard that fixed it is still voluntary. These guides explain what the rules actually require, how to check a bottle before you buy, and where the value sits after the price correction.
Guides in this section
Japanese whiskyA Japanese whisky gift guide by budget — and the delivery rules nobody mentions
What to give at $50, $100 and $200, why the famous bottles are the weakest gifts right now, and the shipping rules that quietly ruin alcohol presents.
Japanese whiskyHow to make a Japanese highball at home
The ratio, the ice, the glass and the stir. Why the Japanese version tastes different from whisky and soda, and which bottle to use.
Japanese whiskyIs your Japanese whisky actually Japanese? How to check before you spend $200
The 2021 labelling standard, why it is still voluntary, and four checks that tell you whether a bottle is really Japanese whisky.
Japanese whiskyJapan's new whisky distilleries: where the interesting drinking is now
Kanosuke, Yuza, Saburomaru, Shizuoka, Akkeshi. Who they are, what makes each one different, and why they are better value than the famous names.
Japanese whiskyJapanese whisky prices in 2026: list prices went up, resale prices went down
Two opposite things happened to Japanese whisky pricing at once. Here is what it means for anyone who wants to drink it rather than flip it.
Japanese whiskyMizunara: what Japanese oak actually does to whisky
Sandalwood and incense, and a wood so difficult that most distilleries avoid it. What mizunara really contributes, and when it is worth paying for.
Japanese whiskyThe best Japanese whisky under $100 in 2026 — and what to skip
Now that the speculative premium has gone, this is the band where Japanese whisky makes sense again. Seven bottles worth the money, and the traps.
Japanese whiskyThe Japanese whisky certification mark: how to check a bottle in five seconds
A certification mark for Japanese whisky arrived in 2025. What the logo looks like, what it guarantees, and the three things it cannot tell you.
Japanese whiskyYamazaki, Hakushu or Hibiki: which Suntory should you buy first?
Three bottles, one company, three completely different drinks. What separates them, which suits which drinker, and whether any is worth the money now.
Other sections
Sake
How Japanese sake is classified, what the numbers on the label mean, and how to pick a bottle you will actually enjoy — written from the Japanese sources.
Buying & shipping
Which shops can legally ship to your country, what import duty costs you, and how to avoid the counterfeit problem at the top of the market.