Japan’s whisky “Taketsuru” named world’s best blended malt in whisky awards for 2nd year
Japanese whisky wins top prize for 2nd year
Date: Mar 20, 2015
Source: NHK World
A Japanese whisky has won the world’s top prize in a prestigious contest in Britain for the second straight year. The organizers of the World Whiskies Awards chose the “Taketsuru 17 Years Old” malt of Japan’s Nikka brand as the best blended malt whisky for 2015.
Nikka’s chief blend specialist, Tadashi Sakuma, received the prize at a ceremony in London on Thursday. The whisky was named after Masataka Taketsuru, whose life forms the basis of a TV drama series currently being shown on NHK.
Taketsuru dedicated his life to the domestic production of whisky with the help of his Scottish wife.
Japanese whiskies have topped different categories for 9 years in a row. Neil Ridley, the chairman of the organizer, praised Japanese craftsmanship, and said Scotland and Japan are good rivals.
Full list of winners
- World’s best blended malt: Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt 17 Year Old (Japan)
- World’s best single malt: Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique (Taiwan)
- World’s best grain whisky: Darkness! North British 18 Year Old Oloroso Cask Finish (Scotland)
- World’s best pot still whisky: Redbreast Pot Still 15 Year Old (Ireland)
- World’s best flavoured whisky: Master of Malt 40 Year Old Speyside Whisky Liqueur (Scotland)
- World’s best American whiskey: Thomas H Handy Sazerac Straight Rye (USA)
- World’s best blend: That Boutique-y Whisky Company Blended Whisky #1 (Scotland)
- Best Japanese blended whisky: Suntory Hibiki 12 Year Old
- Best Japanese single malt: Suntory Yamazaki 18 Year Old
- Best scotch blended malt: Wemyss Malts Velvet Fig (Scotland)
- Best African blended whisky: Three Ships Bourbon Cask Finish (South Africa)
- Best European blended whisky: Black Mountain Whisky Selection BM No1 (France)
- Best Irish blended whiskey: Tullamore Dew Phoenix
- Best African single malt: Three Ships Single Malt 10 Year Old (South Africa)
- Best American single malt: Balcones Texas Single Malt
- Best Irish single malt: Teeling Single Malt
- Best Australian single malt: Sullivan’s Cove French Oak Cask Matured
- Best European single malt: Mackmyra Iskristall (Sweden)
- Best Lowland single malt: Highland Harvest Single Malt Sauternes Wood
- Best Highland single malt: Glenmorangie Extremely Rare 18 Year Old
- Best Campbelltown single malt: Longrow 11 Year Old
- Best Speyside single malt: Benriach 16 Year Old
- Best Islands single malt: Ledaig 10 Year Old
- Best Islay single malt: Ardbeg Kildalton
Japanese drama boosts whisky sales
Date: Dec 10, 2014
Source: The Drink Business – by Lauren Eads
Much like the US series Mad Men has been credited with reviving a love of retro cocktails, such as the Old Fashioned, Massan has been credited with reviving sales of domestic Japanese whisky.
Broadcast on NHK, the TV series is based on the lives of the “mother and father of Japanese whisky”, Masataka Taketsuru and his Scottish wife, Rita Cowan. Taketsuru returned to Japan in 1923 to join the drinks company Kotobukiya, now known as Suntory, and helped to establish its whisky distillery. The show’s plot revolves around his wife’s clashes with her Japanese mother-in-law and husband’s jilted fiancée.
Nikka, which is owned by Asahi Breweries, claims sales of Nikka whiskey have increased 50% in the last three months, compared to the same period last year, as reported by Japan News. Since the show first aired on 29 September, Massan has attracted a largely female audience which Nikka again credits with growing sales of its whisky.
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