Japanese whiskies take world titles

washed-up

Bitter taste for Scots distillers as Japanese whiskies take world titles

TWO Japanese whiskies have been voted the best in the world.

Yoichi has become the first variety produced outside Scotland to win the single malt award in an international competition run by trade paper Whisky Magazine, it was revealed yesterday.

The whisky, distilled near the city of Sapporo on the island of Hokkaido, beat dozens of other varieties, including last year's winner, Talisker 18 years old, produced on the Isle of Skye.

Suntory Hibiki, the brand advertised by the washed-up actor played by Bill Murray in the film Lost in Translation, scooped the award for the world's best blended whisky.

Rob Allanson, the editor of Whisky Magazine, said: "Hopefully this will make people sit up and realise that the Japanese are producing some phenomenal stuff. While they don't have a particularly strong toehold in the UK, they are making great gains which the British market should take note of."

【聯合報╱編譯陳世欽／報導】 2008.04.28 01:53 am

日本威士忌常被品酒人士認為不道地，還和英國釀的紅酒一樣成為各界調侃的對象。但今年日本威士忌卻在國際權威競賽拿下雙料冠軍，擊敗所有享譽全球數百年的蘇格蘭品牌，震驚品酒界。 星期泰晤士報27日報導，「威士忌雜誌（Whisky Magazine）」主辦的年度國際競賽中，日本余市（Yoichi）20年單一純麥威士忌被選為最佳單一純麥威士忌，擊敗數十種參賽品牌，包括去年奪冠 的蘇格蘭斯開島（Isle of Skye）塔利斯科（Talisker）18年單一純麥威士忌。這是蘇格蘭威士忌首度丟掉單一純麥威士忌獎。 評審表示，每瓶售價150英鎊（約台幣9,000元）的余市20年單一純麥威士忌「巧妙融合蘇格蘭威士忌的煙燻味與甜黑醋栗的風味」，散發「爆炸性香氣」，入喉「留下濃郁綿長的芳香」。余市威士忌在日本北海道札幌附近釀造，是日本知名酒廠一甲（Nikka）旗下品牌。 在調和式威士忌方面，日本三得利「響（Suntory Hibiki）」獲評鑑為全球最優質的調和式威士忌。 這項評鑑結果震驚蘇格蘭，因為威士忌與風笛、肉餡羊肚、蘇格蘭裙同為蘇格蘭民族認同的具體象徵，如今竟輸給日本威士忌，有如一九七○年代法國頂級紅酒輸給美國加州紅酒。 評審指出，日本氣候多變化，有助於佳釀熟成，並造就香氣更濃郁、更純粹的威士忌。