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Earlier this year, I carefully selected four bottles to spotlight in a feature on Japanese whisky slated for our May 2021 issue. Within a month, I had begun to question every choice.
The liquid in the bottles hadn’t changed. They were still delicious, relatively affordable and accessible, the main criteria for the list. I had vetted each to ensure they were from different regions and represented a variety of flavor profiles and production styles.
Yet, here’s what had changed: the Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association released new labeling standards for its association members mid-February, slated to go into effect April 1, 2021. As I began to peel back the layers of the new rules, I realized that two of the four bottles I had selected may no longer be labeled as Japanese whisky. This meant half of the bottles in the line-up were now at odds with the rest.
Japanese Whisky Finally Defined; Now You Know What Exactly You Are Paying For
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Japan s new whisky regulations: What do they mean? - Drinks International - The global choice for drinks buyers
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New rules governing Japanese whisky production âlong overdueâ
11 March 2021 By Lauren Eads
Rules to regulate the production of Japanese whisky come into force on April 1, with producers no longer able to label malts blended with world whiskies as ‘Japanese’ and marking the “dawning of a new era” in the evolution of Japanese whisky.
Ian Chang, vice president Karuizawa Distillers Inc., and master blender and distiller at Komoro Distillery
Last month, as reported by
the drinks business, The Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association issued a new set of labelling guidelines for Japanese whisky âin order to contribute to the appropriate selection of whisky products by consumers in Japan and abroad, and to thereby protect the interests of consumers, ensure fair competition, and improve quality.â
A Top Master Blender Weighs In On Japan s Whisky Upheaval
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