Father’s Day 2024 is Sunday, June 16. Here are 10 whisky recommendations for gifts.
Popular Father’s Day gift items are often meal items such as “snacks” and “eels” as gifts. However, alcohol is no different and ranks high as a gift.
Whisky is widely available in rare bottles and nowadays in highball cans.
Unlike beer, whiskey can be drunk without worrying about sugar content. Please consider this as an option for Father’s Day!
1. Budget ~ 5,000 yen
Even with a budget of 5,000 yen or less, you can purchase a set of highball cans or a bottle of whisky. Please consider this as one of your options.
1-1. Suntory Premium Highball Hakushu
The new Hakushu Highball can will go on sale just before Father’s Day this year. This is the third Hakushu Highball, and this time it is a refreshing highball. We especially recommend the highball, a blend that accentuates the cool aroma and smokiness of Hakushu, and Suntory Masters Dream, which is sold as a set.
1-2. Smoky Highball at Saburomaru Distillery
The Saburomaru Distillery in Toyama Prefecture proudly claims that they only make “heavily peated style whisky.” All of the whiskies they release are heavily peated. For those who like smoky whisky, this is a must have product.
1-3. Blended Japanese Whisky Togouchi
SAKURAO B&D in Hiroshima Prefecture introduces Blended Japanese Whisky Togouchi. Blended Togouchi has been renewed since last September. It was renewed in accordance with the definition of “Japanese whisky” established by the Japan Spirits and Liqueurs Makers Association. The blended malt and grain whiskey made at the Sakurao Distillery can be purchased at this price even though it meets the definition of “Japanese whisky”.
It is also recommended to choose from four different types: Premium, Sake Cask Finish, Beer Cask Finish, and Peated Cask Finish.
1-4. Asaka&4
From Fukushima Prefecture’s Sasanokawa Shuzo, introducing products from the Asaka Distillery. It is a product that is rarely seen in liquor stores, but it is positioned in the same world blended category as Suntory Ao, etc. The price is quite low, and it is a cosmetically pleasing product. The price is quite low and it is a cosmetically pleasing product. It would be a great gift as a highball with soda!
2. Budget ~ 10,000 yen
If you have a budget of up to 10,000 yen, some single malt Japanese whiskies are also an option.
2-1. Ichiro’s Malt & Grain Classical Edition
This is a “world blended whisky” blended with original whisky from five different locations around the world, including Chichibu Distillery’s original whisky. The Classical Edition has a higher percentage of malt and more peat than the White Label. This edition is increasingly being seen at liquor stores and can be purchased at regular prices on mail order sites. It is a reliable bottle that can be served not only on the rocks or highballs, but also with water.
2-2. Kirin Single Malt Japanese Whisky Fuji
The whisky produced at Kirin’s Fuji Gotemba Distillery is one of the most affordable Japanese whiskies available these days, and is relatively easy to find due to its high production volume. The products on sale include “Single Grain Whisky Fuji” and “Blended Japanese Whisky Fuji“, but since it is a good opportunity, it is “Single Malt Japanese Whisky Fuji“.
All three are excellent, but if you are sending one for Father’s Day, please consider the single malt!
2-3. Single Malt Sakurao
“Single Malt Japanese Whisky Sakurao” is distilled at SAKURAO B&D’s Sakurao distillery. This whisky has a wonderful woody and pleasant smoky aroma with a gentle scent of the Seto Inland Sea. The whisky is distilled at the Sakurao Distillery, where it is aged for more than three years.
Because the distillery is located on the ocean side, the barrels have a subtle aroma of the Seto Inland Sea. The environment has a large difference in temperature throughout the year, which helps the sake to mature quickly.
We also recommend “Single Malt Japanese Whisky Togouchi ” from the same distillery, although it is a little hard to find!
2-4. Single Malt Tsunuki 2024 Edition
Honbo Shuzo Mars Whisky. This is the latest edition of “Single Malt Tsunuki” produced at the Tsunuki Distillery in Kagoshima. The Mars Tsunuki Dstillery is located in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, where the unique cold temperature difference in the basin and the high quality water from the Mt. This single malt is made by vatting the original spirit matured in various casks, mainly bourbon barrels and sherry casks. We recommend this bottle for its robust, mellow sweetness and full-bodied flavor, which are the characteristics of the Tsunuki Distillery’s original sake.
We also recommend “Single Malt Komagatake” from the same distillery owned by Hombo Shuzo.
3. Budget ~ ¥15,000
For those who want to give a really good Japanese whisky! If you are thinking “I want to buy a really good Japanese whisky as a gift!”
3-1. Ichiro’s Malt Mizunara Wood Reserve
Whisky lovers must be familiar with Ichiro’s Malt’s “Leaf Series.” There are three types: Wynnewood Reserve, Mizunara Wood Reserve, and Double Distilleries. We recommend the Mizunara Wood Reserve, one of the most popular of these series.
Mizunara, also known as Japanese oak, is difficult to process and has the disadvantage of having a strong woody aroma, but as the casks are used repeatedly, it brings an oriental aroma like that of Kyara or sandalwood to the whisky.
It is very difficult to obtain this whisky with fragrant woody aroma at a fixed price, but there is no doubt that it is one of the most valuable whiskies.
3-2. Kanosuke Double Distillery
“Single Malt Kanosuke” from the Kanosuke Distillery in Kagoshima, which started operation in 2016, and “Kanosuke HIOKI POT STILL” distilled at the Hioki Distillery in Kagoshima Prefecture. Kanosuke Double Distillery is the result of vatting these two unique whiskies.
The distiller’s know-how cultivated through shochu distillation has been applied to whisky making, and the barrels used for the aged shochu “Mellowed Kozuru” are used to create a bottle with a unique character.
Finally
There are now as many as 120 distilleries in Japan producing whisky. While there are many excellent Japanese whiskies on the market that are being produced right now and are made according to the ” Voluntary Standards for Japanese Whisky ” with a philosophy, concept, and production method, there are also many faux whiskies that look and label like Japanese whisky, but are filled with bulk whisky imported from overseas. On the other hand, there are also many fake Japanese whiskies on the market that look and label like Japanese whisky but are filled with bulk whisky imported from overseas.
Of course, some of the whiskies recommended in this article, such as World Blended, are also made from overseas whiskies, and the use of such whiskies is not necessarily a bad thing at all. The availability of good whisky at affordable prices is something that consumers appreciate.
The whiskies introduced here are all distilleries that are highly transparent to consumers and can be drunk with peace of mind, thanks to the clarification of standards.
If your father is interested in Japanese whisky, but you do not know what to buy, we hope you will find this information useful.
