Christmas is Approaching Fast

Christmas is approaching fast and we’re quite excited for the holiday. In order to celebrate, we’re counting down by featuring a different bottle of fine Japanese Whisky each day. If you’d like to discover fine Japanese Whisky, we hope to expand your scope!

Best of all? You can take 10% OFF any of our countdown bottles when you use the promo code “COUNTDOWN” at checkout. Be on the lookout, we’ll be adding additional bottles every day!

Lazy

12th Day: Hibiki 21
This whisky has been named the world’s best blended whisky so many times it’s hard to keep track. In fact, it has claimed the title for 4 out of the past 6 years! If that doesn’t make it a worthy Japanese Whisky to have on your shelf, we don’t know what else would. Some people prefer a single malt whisky, but to those skeptical of blended whisky we really suggest you give this one a go. The Hibiki 21 is a very smooth, well-balanced whisky that will appeal to everyones palate. A perfect whisky to bring for the holidays for everyone to enjoy!

11th Day: Yamazaki 12
Yamazaki 12 has grown rapidly in popularity, why? Because it’s a tremendously good whisky that is more affordable than the 18 Year, 25 Year and Sherry Cask varieties. If you’ve heard all of the hype about Yamazaki among connoisseurs and would like to try it yourself, then this bottle makes a nice introduction. This is a well balanced whisky that is sweet and fruity with vanilla notes. It’s a single malt whisky that will quickly become your preferred choice over whiskies of similar age.

10th Day: Yamazakura 963 21 Year
While lesser known that Hibiki and Yamazaki, Yamazakura has long been a local favorite. This whisky began it’s journey at the historic Sasanokawa Shuzo distillery in Japan where each of the components in this top tier blended whisky were aged at least 21 years. The whisky is meticulously blended using a combination of single malt and grain whisky. Bottled at 58.00%, you’ll enjoy the mellow fragrance and complex flavor of this great bottle. This bottle is available online exclusively through dekanta, a way for you to experience an authentic bottle without requiring a plane ticket!

9th Day: Taketsuru 17 Year Pure Malt
Yet another blended whisky hits our list, this one the Taketsuru 17 Year. The Japanese are known for their attention to detail in the blending process, yielding blends that leave even the harshest critic at a loss for words. We’re big fans of blended whiskies at the holidays since they tend to be lighter and have a broader appeal. The Taketsuru is another one of Japans notable blends, in fact it has won the World Whisky Awards for the best blended whisky more often than ANY other whisky on Earth! This is definitely a worthy contender for your next whisky purchase!

8th Day: Hakushu 18 Year
An amazingly well defined whisky with delicious fruit flavors, quite reminiscent of an original Irish potstill whisky. For people that are fans of Irish whisky but looking to branch out, this Japanese single malt is a great fit. We love the fruit and spice flavor of this whisky, it’s a must-try for any enthusiast.

7th Day: Suntory Royale Collection
Suntory Royale bottles may not get the hype and hoopla of Yamazaki bottles, but these are bottles that should be a part of every authentic Japanese Whisky collection. The whisky might not be on the same level as Yamazaki or Hibiki, but it’s very good nonetheless. If you’re looking for a low-cost bottle that is very presentable, the Royal line-up should be a contender. These bottles look unique and are sure to be a conversations starter.

6th Day: Hibiki Harmony
If you’d like an introduction to Hibiki, the harmony bottle is the perfect place to start. At a price under $100, it makes a great gift item. The blended whisky will leave even a well-priced bottle of Scotch in the dust. The blenders at Suntory pay close attention to ensuring that Hibiki Harmony lives up to it’s name, a whisky in perfect harmony! It’s well-balanced flavor will appeal to every palate. Of course, if you can splurge, we’d suggest the Hibiki 21 or Hibiki 30 bottles!

5th Day: Suntory Old Collection
The Suntory Old line is very popular in Japan but has not been offered extensively to the rest of the world. It’s a great whisky that is offered in a selection of notable themed bottles. Each of the bottles are reasonably priced under $200 making them a great way to start a collection of Japanese Whisky. Explore our collection of Suntory Old bottles today!

4th Day: Yamazaki 18
How could we not include one of our all-time favorites? The Yamazaki 18 offers a truly amazing experience in whisky at a more reasonable price tag than the 25 year and Sherry Cask varieties. This whisky has been praised among connoisseurs and for good reason! If you ask a Japanese Whisky enthusiast what’s usually in their glass, it’s likely to be Yamazaki 18. If you’d like to enjoy a great bottle in the $500 price range, this is a sure bet. You can also check out our
Yamazaki 18 Gift Set.

3rd Day: Suntory Zodiac Bottles
If you’re looking for a great gift that is rare in the western world, these Zodiac bottles might be the perfect fit. Zodiac themed products are very popular and highly collectible in Japan, these bottles are no exclusion. For 2017, the Chinese calendar animal is the Rooster — but we’d suggest you start your own Zodiac bottle collection. It’s a fun way to commemorate every year. Best of all, there is some great Japanese whisky inside!

2nd Day: Ichiro’s Malt Collection
One of the most prominent figures in Japanese whisky is Ichiro Akuto.Ichiro’s grandfather started the acclaimed Hanyu distillery which closed in 2000.He has continued carrying on the family tradition by bottling remaining stocks from Hanyu and creating his own whiskies.Each bottle of Ichiro’s malt is selected and/or produced by Ichiro himself, ensuring each bottle is of extraordinary quality.Bottles range in price from $100 to over $15,000 for highly collectible versions.The story behind Ichiro’s Malt combined with the high quality make it an excellent choice for the holidays!

Last Day: Karuizawa
This incredible distillery was completely closed in 2011 leaving fans scrambling to find bottles of their beloved nectar. Karuizawa produced some of the most widely acclaimed whisky to ever come from Japan, each accompanied by beautiful bottles and packaging. As the stock begins to be depleted bottles from Karuizawa are climbing in price with no end in sight. If you’re looking for a highly collectible bottle this holiday season then we suggest you take a look at our world-class Karuizawa collection. These bottles are normally only sold at auction, but we’re pleased to be able to offer them online for fast delivery!

Christmas Day: Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2016
We’re ending our countdown with the bottle that has been broadly proclaimed as one of the world’s best bottles. In 2015, the Yamazaki Sherry 2013 was named the world’s best whisky by Jim Murray’s whisky bible. The 2016 is even better with much of the whisky having more character from the additional aging. If you’d like to celebrate the new year with one of the world’s absolute best tasting Japanese Whiskies, you must include this bottle!