Shaw-Ross International Importers is bringing a new Japanese whisky to U.S. shores: Maen (pronounced “Mi-en”), which means “perfect circle” in Japanese and is evoked by the calligraphed circle presented on the label of all three expressions of the product. While plenty of production details can be found below, little else is known about the whiskies, including the distillery/distilleries in which they are made. We’re sharing what we do know in the reviews of the full lineup below. All three are 86 proof and bottled in 700ml screwcapped bottles. Maen Japanese Blended Whisky – The entry level p ..read more

Japan’s Nikka Whisky began its experimental Nikka Discovery series in 2021, with two special releases, one from each of its two main distilleries. Nikka followed suit with another pair in 2022, making one wonder if it would continue the theme going forward. Well, here we are in 2023, and Nikka has announced that this will be the final release of the Discovery series, and rather than dropping multiple bottles, it’s releasing just one: Nikka the Grain Whisky, a blend of seven different whiskies from four Nikka distilleries; Miyagikyo, Nishinomiya, Moji, and Satsumatsukasa. The actual blend is c ..read more

Hikari Distillery has been around in Fukuoka, Japan since 1912, but its Hakata Whiskey brand is new to U.S. shores, a 100% single malt which has been partially fermented with koji mold, adding umami flavors to the distillate. All four expressions of Hakata are aged in sherry casks in a combination of traditional warehouses and a small number of open-air warehouses, “where they are exposed to humid summertime temperatures of 95°F and winter temperatures of around 38°F.” Each is bottled at 84 proof in 700ml bottles — and not at all what I was expecting. Hakata Whiskey 10 Years Old – The sherry ..read more

Yes, the name of this whiskey is Tiger Thiccc. Yes, with three Cs. To call it unique would be an understatement: It’s a blended whiskey, made from 80% American bourbon (a 99% corn mash from Indiana’s MGP) and 20% Japanese whiskey (55% grain, 45% barley), all finished in a mizunara oak barrel. No age statements or additional details are available, so let’s put all that aside — alongside with a Joe Rogan endorsement — and see what’s in the bottle. Well damn if it isn’t a pretty impressive product, definitely thicc, if not quite thiccc, though. The nose is fruit-heavy and quite corny, but temper ..read more

Drinkhacker readers: We’ve heard your cries. Our top ten lists regularly feature whiskeys that are impossible to get, much too expensive, or both. With this feature, we’re diving deep into 10 bottlings you can readily obtain from our partners at Coasters, with none costing more than $85, and half of them under $50. Best of all, we’ve given all of these whiskeys the Drinkhacker stamp of approval. Read on for product details and links where you can pick each of them up. Shipping is a great deal: $15 flat rate under $200; free shipping for orders over $200. 1. Nikka Whiskey from the Barrel – Nev ..read more

  We sampled the wares of Fuji earlier in the year, learning about its approach to grain whiskey, which involves three different mashbills and distilling processes. While Fuji’s standard Single Grain release carries no age statement, this edition is quite the opposite, bearing a 30 year old age statement — with some of the whiskies in the blend up to 40 years old. The whiskies in the bottle are all expressions of Fuji’s “Canadian style” distillate, all aged in used American oak barrels. Imagine my disappointment when I didn’t care for the finished product at all. Initially harsh and lade ..read more

The mad fanaticism over all things whiskey continued unabated in 2022, but with quality like this on the market, it’s hard not to see why. Some of this stuff is so insanely good that we can fully understand the wild price hikes and long lines and lotteries just to win the chance at buying a bottle… though, gulp, I can’t say that anyone on the staff is ready to plunk down four figures for 750ml of whiskey, no matter how good it is. That’s a long way of apologizing for the high prices and extreme rarity of a few of the whiskeys on this list, but with our top 10 whiskeys of the year list, our go ..read more

The mad fanaticism over all things whiskey continued unabated in 2022, but with quality like this on the market, it’s hard not to see why. Some of this stuff is so insanely good that we can fully understand the wild price hikes and long lines and lotteries just to win the chance at buying a bottle… though, gulp, I can’t say that anyone on the staff is ready to plunk down four figures for 750ml of whiskey, no matter how good it is. That’s a long way of apologizing for the high prices and extreme rarity of a few of the whiskeys on this list, but with our top 10 whiskeys of the year list, our go ..read more

Nikka’s Discovery series, which launched last year, was a fun way to explore unexpected flavors from the Japanese icon’s two distilleries. While the 2021 expressions focused on the use of peat (or lack thereof), this year’s takes a deep dive into one of the unsung heroes of distillation: yeast. The two whiskies in this year’s collection are made using yeast from Nikka’s vast “culture collection.” These were initially tasted alongside three additional experiments from each distillery, each made using a different type of yeast. The results were really intriguing, but rather than bore you with n ..read more

For the 2022 holiday season, Japan’s Yamazaki has launched four whiskies in its Limited Edition Tsukuriwake Selection, “a fundamental piece of its unrivaled craftsmanship” that “introduce the foundational pillars of Yamazaki Single Malt Whisky – Puncheon, Peated Malt, Spanish Oak, and Mizunara. The collection honors Tsukuriwake, which means ‘artisanship through a diversity of making’ and is embraced by the Founding House of Japanese Whisky.” These whiskies are all unique limited edition single malt bottlings that carry no age statements but which represent very different styles. We received s ..read more