For your Valentine’s Day gift reference, JWD recommends chocolates to accompany Whisky, andchocolatesmade with Whisky.
The year has begun and it is already February. Setsubun and Risshun are over, and the Valentine’s Day season has arrived.
As we introduced last year, more and more companies have created chocolates using Japanese Whisky this year, and we would like to introduce some of them.
1. YOIYO Terrine Whisky Shousho 1 piece
The YOIYO series sold by Lotte Co. Ltd. produces chocolates using Whisky, sake, and gin.
The latest product is a terrine made with single malt Shousho from the Akkeshi Distillery.
Japanese craft sake chocolate “YOIYO” 19th in the series
The third in the YOIYO Terrine x Akkeshi Distillery series uses “Akkeshi Single Malt Japanese Whisky Shousho” from the 24 Season Series. With the addition of this precious Whisky, this chocolate terrine has a rich and mature taste. As in the past, we worked with blender Mr. Tatsuzaki in pursuit of deliciousness, and added orange peel as an accent to add variety to the flavor. Please enjoy the YOIYO terrine in a relaxed atmosphere.
A special YOIYO terrine would also make a great gift.
We recommend it as a gift for Valentine’s Day and White Day.Reference: YOIYO Terrine Whisky Shousho 1piece: Chocolate|LOTTE GROUP Official Online Mall
2. SILSMARIA Taketsuru Pure Malt Raw Chocolate
SILSMARIA is a confectionery maker in Kanagawa Prefecture. It is famous as the birthplace of raw chocolate. The image below shows raw chocolate made from “Taketsuru Pure Malt″.
Please enjoy a moment of bitter-sweet bliss with the raw chocolate using “Taketsuru Pure Malt,” which was created with the inherited skills of Nikka Whisky’s blenders.
Reference: Products List | Sils Maria
3. Lloyds Whisky snacks
From Lloyds of Hokkaido, famous for its fresh chocolate, this chocolate is made to enjoy with Whisky.
It is reasonably priced, but has a taste that goes well with whisky.
Four chocolate assortments based on the concept of “Chocolates that are the best partner for Whisky. The set includes four types of chocolate: 62% cacao with a fruity and powerful cacao taste, raspberry pistachio with a rich flavor of berries and pistachios, cacao nibs with a crunchy texture and a bittersweet taste, and brown sugar macadamia that combines the delicious taste of nuts and the rich flavor of brown sugar.
The set includes four types: [62% cacao] with a fruity and powerful cacao taste, [Raspberry pistachio] with a rich taste of berries and pistachios, [Cacao nibs] with a crunchy texture and bittersweet taste, and [Brown sugar macadamia] combining the delicious taste of nuts and the rich flavor of brown sugar.
Reference: Whisky snacks ｜ROYCE’S Official – Online Shop of Chocolate and Confectionery
4. Maison cacao aromatic raw chocolate
Maison Cacao, which produces raw chocolate with an infinitely high water content, will be on sale on its official page from February 6, 20:00.
4-1. raw chocolate “artisan / Whisky echo
The pleasure of dreaming in the margins that expand over time
This is a product made with Suntory Whisky. Suntory Whisky “Hibiki JAPANESE HARMONY” is a product that resonates with Japanese nature, the delicate sensibilities of the Japanese people, and the skills of Japanese artisans. It is a unique value that harmonizes the spirit and culture of the Japanese people amidst the multiple cycles of the four seasons. Hibiki JAPANESE HARMONY is a crystallization of Japanese beauty that resonates around the world. A soft taste that spreads gorgeously. A beautifully balanced harmony unique to Japanese Whisky. The blenders have combined the richly distinctive original whiskies produced at the Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita distilleries, resulting in a complex and delicate aroma that spreads over many layers. The aroma resonates in your mouth the moment you put it in.
Reference: Raw chocolate “ARTISAN / Whisky Hibiki” ｜MAISON CACAO [Official] Online Shop – MAISON CACAO
4-2. Raw chocolate “NATURE / Whisky Hakushu
The base is white chocolate with a rich sweetness and floral aroma, made only with cacao butter from Colombia. The single malt whisky Hakushu, which was born in the “forest distillery”, is combined with the chocolate. The one-of-a-kind aroma, which is infused with the nature of the forest itself, is created with Hakushu’s famous water and delicate craftsmanship. Please enjoy the subtle smokiness, refreshing aroma, and light, soft taste.
Reference: Raw chocolate “NATURE / Whisky Hakushu” ｜Maison Cacao [Official] Online Shop – MAISON CACAO
Lastly: Recommended Books on Japanese Whisky
If you want to learn more about Japanese whisky, which is a global trend, we highly recommend these books.
(1).Whisky Galore Vol.29 December 2021 issue
In the December 2021 issue of Whisky Galore, published by the Whisky Culture Research Institute, we report on 11 Japanese craft distilleries, including some that are open to the public for the first time, under the title of “Japanese Whisky Craft Frontline,” the first of three consecutive issues. Why did the popularity of Japanese whisky and the craft boom occur? We will examine with interviews. Chichibu Distillery / Chichibu No.2 Distillery / Mars Shinshu Distillery / Mars Tsunuki Distillery / Kanosuke Distillery / Hioki Distillery / Ontake Distillery / Osuzuyama Distillery / Kaikyo Distillery / Hanyu Distillery / Konosu Distillery
(2). Japanese Whisky as an Education for Business
This is a book written by Mamoru Tsuchiya, a world-famous whisky critic and representative of the Whisky Culture Research Institute, titled “Japanese Whisky as a Culture that Works for Business” .
The book covers the basics of whisky, the introduction of whisky to Japan, the birth of Japanese whisky, advertising strategies and the rise of Japanese whisky, and the current rise of craft distilleries. This is a book that summarizes Japanese whisky in a very easy to understand way.
(3). Whisky and I (Masataka Taketsuru)
Masataka Taketsuru, the founder of Nikka Whisky, devoted his life to brewing whisky in Japan. This is a revised and reprinted version of the autobiography of a man who simply loved whisky and talked about himself. The book vividly depicts the days when he went to Scotland alone to study as a young man and overcame many hardships to complete Japanese whisky, as well as his companion, Rita.
(4). A Letter of Challenge from a New Generation Distillery
Launching in 2019. With the world experiencing an unprecedented whisky boom, what were the managers of craft distilleries thinking and what were their thoughts as they took on the challenge of making whisky? This book tells the stories of 13 craft distillery owners, including Ichiro Hido of Venture Whisky, famous for his Ichirose Malt, who inspired the birth of craft distilleries in Japan.
(5). Whiskey Rising
This is the Japanese version of Whisky Risng, published in the US in 2016, with much updated content. Not only does it describe the history of Japanese whisky in detail, but it also includes data on all the distilleries in Japan, including the craft distilleries that have been founded in recent years. The book also includes descriptions of the legendary bottles that have been released, as well as information on bars where Japanese whisky can be found.
