7 Japanese Whiskies For The Perfect Highball

Book your tastebuds a ticket to Japan as we continue our trip Around The World In Whiskey with this week’s look at some of our favorite bottles.

One of the best ways to drink Japanese Whisky is to make a highball; an old cocktail whose origins are dubious but potentially American, that was brought back to life by Japanese bartenders. The highball is an interesting drink because despite its simplicity, it requires precision and quality ingredients. The seltzer opens the flavors of the whisky allowing the drinker to enjoy the more subtle notes of the spirit in a way that is uniquely refreshing. Next time you’re looking for an easy drinking cocktail, mix up a highball with one of these 7 Japanese Whiskies!

Hatozaki Finest Japanese Whisky

Crafted from a premium blend of whiskies aged up to 12 years in barrels, this light whisky has a rich backbone of malt for a mellow sweetness and notes of cereal. The spirit has a minimum malt whisky content of 40% and is ideal for both straight pours and highballs.

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Suntory Whisky Toki

Created by third-generation master blender Shingo Torii, the Suntory Toki expression is meant to blend the line of history and innovation that drives the House of Suntory. The silky spirit has a subtle sweetness and a spicy finish with hints of basil, green apple, and honey in the nose.

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Kojiki Finest Whisky

Made using a unique blend of 30% corn, 30% wheat, and 40% barley (with a small percentage of the barley peated), Kojiki has a rich sweetness and freshness. The whisky is aged in ex-bourbon barrels for three years before being finished in Sauternes bottles for three months and then moved for a final finish of four months in champagne barrels. All of this finishing results in a light gold whisky with a rich sweetness and freshness with soft notes of orange peel, peach, cotton candy.

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Fuyu Blended Japanese Whisky

This three-year aged selection is made from a blend of malted grain and corn mash sourced from the island of Honshu and rested in oak barrels. Expect floral and youthful aromas on the nose and a generous amount of oak and cooked fruit on the palate. Crafting a highball with Fuyu allows the more subtle notes and hints of smoke to shine through.

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Nikka Days

This playful spirit was developed based on the concept of “whisky for every day” and is specifically intended to be enjoyed in highballs and cocktails. Crafted by the skillful blending of slightly peated malts and grain whiskies, this expression has a silky mouthfeel with fruity flavors and intoxicating floral aromas.

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Kikori Whiskey

Floral, fragrant, and velvety smooth, Kikori is distilled from rice grown on the island of Kyushu in Southern Japan. After distillation, the spirit is aged for three years in a mix of French Limousin Oak and Sherry casks. The result is a golden hued whisky with a fragrant, floral aroma and delicate flavor.

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Kujira Ryukyu 5-Year White Oak Virgin Cask

Crafted at the Kumesen Distilleru in Okinawa, Kujira is a rice based whisky that was originally intended as a Shochu. In 1952 the distillery was making Awamori, a Shochu made with Indica Rice. At the tail end the 80’s the line began aging the spirit in oak casks and the resulting whisky quickly gained popularity. The spirit is smooth and mellow with hints of sweetness and a rich, woody aroma.