10 Best Japanese Whiskies to Buy in Australia: Top Single Malts & Blends

If you’re a whisky drinker, you probably have your favourites from here and abroad. There are plenty of great options to choose from. The whisky market is stacked with world-class drams – from local Australian heavyweights like LARK, Sullivans Cove, and Hellyers Road to Scotch classics like Lagavulin and The Macallan, or even a top-shelf American bourbon. But if you haven’t ventured into Japanese whisky, you’re overlooking some of the most impressive liquid on the market, no matter your preferred flavour profile.

To be labeled authentic Japanese whisky, the spirit must adhere to strict production standards:

• Malted Grain: Distilled using malted grain (barley for single malts).
• Local Sourcing: Made using Japanese water, typically drawn from natural mountain springs.
• End-to-End Production: Mashing, fermentation, distillation, and aging must occur entirely in Japan.
• Cask Ageing & Bottling: Matured in wooden barrels (including rare Mizunara oak) in Japan for at least three years, bottled at 40 per cent ABV or higher.

But the real magic lies in the glass. From delicate, floral single malts to rich, harmonious blends, here are the best Japanese whiskies to elevate your home bar.

1. Hakushu 12 Year

If you’re getting into Japanese whisky, Hakushu 12 Year is a must-try expression. This single malt whisky from the House of Suntory is made from 100 per cent malted barley and pure mountain spring water from the Ojira and Jingu Rivers near Mount Kaikomagatake in the Japanese Alps. This memorable, complex expression is a vatted marriage of lightly peated and non-peated single malt whiskies.

• ABV: 43 per cent
• Price: AUD $280-300
• Cask type: This popular single malt was matured for at least 12 years. The non-peated single malt is matured in European ex-sherry casks, and the peated whisky is matured in American oak barrels.

Flavour profile:

• Nose: Aromas of orchard fruits, mint leaves, vanilla beans, fir trees, and gentle peat smoke greet you before your first sip.
• Taste: The palate features herbal tea undertones, caramelised sugar, vanilla beans, candied orange peels, mint leaves, oak, and light campfire smoke.
• Finish: Long and warm, ending with a mix of herbal tea, butterscotch, and a gentle smoky flourish.
• Key Detail:  A marriage of non-peated and peated single malts makes for a nuanced, complex flavour profile.

2. Hibiki Japanese Harmony

An essential starting point for any collector, Hibiki Japanese Harmony is a versatile blended whisky well-suited for mixing into cocktails or sipping neat, look no further than Hibiki Japanese Harmony. Popular among bartenders and drinkers alike, this whisky is a blend of single malt and grain whiskies from Suntory-owned Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita distilleries. Buy this blend if you’re looking for a rainy-day sipper or want to make a Japanese whisky version of any of your favourite cocktails.

• ABV: 43 per cent
• Price: AUD $140-180
• Cask type: This award-winning blended whisky is matured in 5 different casks, including Japanese Mizunara oak, American white oak, sherry casks, and additional casks from the included distilleries.

Flavour profile:

• Nose: The nose features scents of lychee candy, orchard fruits, manuka honey, toasted vanilla beans, and oaky wood.
• Taste: The palate is velvety smooth and centred on flavours such as chocolate fudge, butterscotch, vanilla, honey, candied orange peels, and gentle baking spices.
• Finish: The finish is lingering and long, ending with a balance of vanilla, toffee candy, and peppery spice.
• Key Detail: If you want to get your foot in the door while trying some whiskies from the most well-known distilleries for a fraction of the price, Hibiki Japanese Harmony is a great choice.

3. Nikka Yoichi 10 Year

This popular single malt whisky begins with a 100 per cent malted barley mash bill. Produced in Hokkaido, Japan, at the Yoichi Distillery, it’s distilled using traditional coal-fired pot stills and more modern Coffey stills. It’s matured for a minimum of a decade in a combination of three unique barrels.

• ABV: 45 per cent
• Price: AUD $120-175
• Cask type: This popular expression is matured in a combination of barrels including ex-bourbon, virgin American oak, and sherry casks.

Flavour profile:

• Nose: The nose is a mix of aromas including toasted vanilla beans, tropical fruits, herbal tea, citrus peels, and gentle smoke.
• Taste: Sipping it reveals notes of vanilla cream, salted caramel, cracked black pepper, orange peels, oak, and sticky toffee pudding.
• Finish: The finish is lingering, warm, and dry, ending with a mix of sweet fruit, oaky wood, and peaty smoke.
• Key Detail: Coastal distillation and ageing give this single malt a unique salted-caramel, coastal maritime aroma and flavour.

4. Yamazaki 12 Year

If you only add one bottle to your cart from this list, make it the Yamazaki 12-Year. One of the most sought-after expressions in the world, this is an award-winning single malt. Made with 100 per cent malted barley, this renowned whisky is matured for a minimum of 12 years in a combination of three distinct casks, giving it the balanced, layered flavour profile Japanese whisky drinkers love.

• ABV: 43 per cent
• Price: AUD $250-400
• Cask type: This popular single malt was matured for 12 years in a combination of American oak, Spanish sherry, and Japanese Mizunara oak barrels.

Flavour profile:

• Nose: A lively nose of caramelised pineapple, citrus zest, honey, toasted vanilla beans, and rich oak greets you before your first sip.
• Taste: The palate is a symphony of flavours including sandalwood, toasted coconut, sweet vanilla beans, candied orange peels, cinnamon candy, herbal tea, and other baking spices.
• Finish: The final sip features a warm, long, balanced finish of dried fruits, ginger cookies, and oak.
• Key Detail: Maturation in three very different barrels gives this beloved single malt its mellow, complex flavour profile.

5. Mars Iwai Tradition

Named after Kiichiro Iwai, a beloved figure in the history of Japanese whisky, Mars Iwai Tradition is a blended whisky featuring whiskies made from malted barley, grain, and lightly peated malted barley. Distilled at Mars Shinshu Distillery in the Japanese Alps, this is a blended whisky you’ll want to always have on hand for sipping neat and mixing into your favourite cocktails.

• ABV: 40 per cent
• Price: AUD $100-125
• Cask type: This non-age-statement blended whisky is matured in a combination of ex-bourbon American oak barrels, sherry casks, and select wine barrels.

Flavour profile:

• Nose: Scents of dried cherries, clover honey, toasted vanilla beans, sticky toffee pudding, oak, and gentle peat smoke are prevalent on the nose.
• Taste: Drinking it brings notes of sticky toffee pudding, sweet treacle, herbal tea, ginger candy, chocolate fudge, vanilla cream, and just a wisp of peaty smoke.
• Finish: Long and warm, ending with a mix of charred oak, caramelised sugar, and gentle campfire smoke.
• Key Detail: A perfectly balanced blend featuring peated single malt, single malt, and grain whiskies.

6. The Chita Single Grain

First launched in 2015, The Chita Single Grain is the perfect gateway into Japanese whisky for bourbon or whiskey drinkers. This is because single-grain whisky is made with a base of corn rather than the usual barley. Matured in a combination of three barrels, it’s a perfect replacement for your favourite bourbons in an Old Fashioned or Whisky Sour. It’s also flavourful and aromatic enough to be enjoyed neat or on the rocks.

• ABV: 43 per cent
• Price: AUD $100-115
• Cask type: This non-age-statement single grain Japanese whisky is matured in a combination of American oak ex-bourbon barrels, European oak wine casks, and Spanish oak barrels.

Flavour profile:

• Nose: On the nose, you’ll find aromas of sweet cream vanilla, herbal tea, pineapple, toasted vanilla beans, and gentle spices.
• Taste: The palate is a balance of flavours including toasted vanilla beans, honey, candied orange peels, tropical fruits, mint leaves, and oak.
• Finish: Long and warm, ending with a mix of candied orange peels, oak, and wintry spices.
• Key Detail: Using corn as the base, rather than barley, adds a sweeter, more memorable element to this unique whisky.

7. Kujira Ryukyu Inari

This whisky is named after Inari, the Japanese god of rice cultivation. To say that Kujira Ryukyu Inari is a unique whisky that needs to be tasted to be believed is an understatement. Instead of being made from malted barley, this single-grain Japanese whisky uses a base of 100 per cent Indica rice that’s fermented with black koji. The result is a complex, memorable whisky that deserves a permanent spot on your home bar.

• ABV: 46 per cent
• Price: AUD $100-140
• Cask type: This no-age-statement, non-chill-filtered whisky is matured in a combination of white American oak, ex-bourbon, and sherry casks.

Flavour profile:

• Nose: Aromas of caramel apples, tropical fruits, vanilla beans, oaky wood, and baking spices are heavy on the nose.
• Taste: Sipping it reveals hints of dried fruits, sticky toffee pudding, toasted vanilla beans, candied nuts, tropical fruits, oak, and light spices.
• Finish: The finish is long, lingering, and warm, ending with a mix of ripe fruit, herbal tea, and rich wood.
• Key Detail: Instead of barley or even corn, this single-grain whisky is made with rice and fermented with black koji.

8. Ichiro’s Malt & Grain

Produced by the Chichibu Distillery in Saitama, Japan, this blended world whisky features international whiskies sourced from Scotland, the US, Ireland, and Japan, aged between 3 and 20 years. It’s then transferred to Chichibu, where it’s aged for another 1 to 3 years. The result is a truly global whisky that carries all the balance and complexity of the various ages and regions it’s from.

• ABV: 46 per cent
• Price: AUD $125-190
• Cask type: Since this is a marriage of so many different whiskies, there are many different barrels. The majority of ageing takes place in ex-sherry and ex-bourbon barrels.

Flavour profile:

• Nose: Caramelised sugar, toasted vanilla beans, candied orange peels, dried fruits, and oak are bold aromas on the nose.
• Taste: Candied nuts, ginger cookies, toasted vanilla beans, sweet treacle, sticky toffee pudding, and cracked black pepper are common on the palate.
• Finish: A unique, warm finish featuring clover honey, oak, and cracked black pepper.
• Key Detail: Since this whisky was sourced from all over the world and finished in Japan, it has a broad, complex flavour profile not found in other expressions.

9. Togouchi Single Malt

Distilled at the Sakurao Distillery in Hiroshima Prefecture, this single malt whisky is made with 100 per cent malted barley and matured in an old railway tunnel known to remain cool and highly humid year-round. The result is a lesser-known, complex, sippable non-chill-filtered single malt whisky that belongs on your radar.

• ABV: 43 per cent
• Price: AUD $150-180
• Cask type: This non-age-statement single malt whisky is aged in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry barrels.

Flavour profile:

• Nose: Ripe pears, candy apples, orange peels, ginger candy, and toasted vanilla beans are prevalent on the nose.
• Taste: Drinking it brings notes of sweet vanilla, cracked black pepper, charred oak, dried fruits, and gentle spices.
• Finish: Long and warm, ending with a mix of ripe fruits, oak, and spices.
• Key Detail: Maturation in a cold, humid subway tunnel intensifies and quickens the ageing process.

10. Nikka Coffey Grain

You’ve probably heard your Japanese whisky-loving mate mention Nikka Coffey Grain before. And no, this whisky is not made with coffee. The name is a reference to the traditional Coffey stills used at the Miyagikyo Distillery. This grain whisky is made mostly from corn, with a smaller amount of barley and other grains. It carries no age statement, but it is believed to be matured for around 8 years.

• ABV: 45 per cent
• Price: AUD $100-130
• Cask type: This popular grain whisky is mature exclusively in ex-bourbon barrels, adding to its appeal to bourbon whiskey drinkers.

Flavour profile:

• Nose: Toasted vanilla beans, coconut, honey, tropical fruits, oak, and gentle spices are found on the nose.
• Taste: The palate is a mix of flavours including caramel corn, toasted vanilla beans, charred oak, dried fruits, candied orange peels, toffee, and gentle spices.
• Finish: The finish is lingering, warm, and ends with a balance of orange peels, caramelised sugar, and baking spices that leaves you craving more.
• Key Detail: Another whisky made primarily from corn, this sweeter expression is a must-try for bourbon drinkers.

What Is Japanese Whisky? Rules, Regulations & Production Standards

As the name suggests, Japanese whisky is a style that’s produced exclusively in Japan. But, while a whisk(e)y style like bourbon is a completely American invention, Japanese whisky’s history is intertwined with that of single malt Scotch whisky.

Like single malt Scotch whisky, Japanese whisky must be distilled with malted grain (single malt must be made with barley). The water must come from Japan (many distilleries are located in mountainous areas and use pure mountain spring water). The mashing, fermentation, distillation, and maturing must all occur in Japan. Lastly, it must be aged in wooden barrels (while many different barrel types, from ex-bourbon to sherry, are used, Japanese Mizunara oak is very popular) in Japan for at least 3 years before being bottled at a minimum of 40 per cent ABV.

While there are variations and differences between distilleries (just like in the various regions of Scotland), Japanese whisky is known for its multi-layered, balanced, velvety-smooth flavour profile, featuring notes such as dried fruits, vanilla, citrus peels, and floral or gently smoky notes. All in all, it’s a great choice for any drinker who already loves a good Scotch whisky or Australian single malt dram.

How Scottish Tradition Shaped Japanese Whisky

No two whisky styles share a deeper connection than Japanese and Scotch whisky. It all began in the early 1900s when whisky pioneer Masataka Taketsuru travelled to Scotland, where he studied at the University of Glasgow. While there, he got a job as an apprentice at a Scotch whisky distillery. This is where he learned the techniques involved in the whisky-making process. In 1920, he returned to Japan with the knowledge and experience to start his own distillery.

In 1923, Torii and Taketsuru established the Yamazaki Distillery. Not only was it the first commercial malt whisky distillery in Japan, but it also set the standard for Japanese whisky and sparked a whisky revolution rooted in Scottish traditions. Initially, Japanese drinkers didn’t embrace the style, but it eventually became popular, led to many other distilleries opening, and remains a staple in the country and around the world to this day.

Japanese Whisky FAQs