Japanese Whisky Bottle Prices, Sizes, & Guide (2023 Edition)

Last Updated on February 8, 2023 by Lydia Martin

Whiskey trends come and go, but Japanese whisky never goes out of style. This whisky grew from a little-known category to one of the most sought-after.

But why do Japanese whisky prices keep on rising? With almost a century in the market, the art of Japanese whisky looks toward perfection in quality. 

Keep reading to know what this whisky is all about—from its roots and types to the current average Japanese whisky price in the market.

Overview of Japanese Whisky: Price & Buying Guide

Japanese whisky is timeless and always aims to refine whiskies. Although it is popular, the supplies are still limited—that’s why the price tags keep escalating.

There are many Japanese whisky brands to choose from, offering traditional whisky to blended whiskies, with prices that could range from less than a hundred to a thousand dollars.

But always check the bottle’s authenticity because fraudsters fake a bottle and sell it for less than half of the current market value.

History & Origin

The first whisky in Japan was made in 1923 at Suntory’s Yamazaki Distillery. [1]

Shinjiro Torii founded the brand and hired Masataka Taketsuru as a distillery executive. 

Japanese whiskies are instilled with skill and history, which has been enjoyed domestically for almost a century.

It was inspired by Scotch whisky—the reason it is spelled without the ’e.’

How It’s Made

Like Scotch whisky, Japanese whisky depends heavily on malted grain, and other grains can be added if it’s a single malt.

But it must be distilled, fermented, aged, and bottled in Japan. It has to be matured for at least three years to comply with Japanese whisky standards. [2]

All Japanese whiskies are wood-aged, and the manufacturers use Sherry casks, American oak barrels, or Japanese Mizunara oak, which imparts unique, vibrant notes. 

Japanese Whisky Types 

Shochu

Shochu is one of the traditional expressions of Japanese whisky. It is mainly made from grains such as buckwheat, rice, and sugar cane, and vegetables like sweet potato or carrots. 

This Japanese whisky is often fermented with ’koji,’ a mold that grows on the grain, and as a distilled beverage, Shochu has an average alcohol content of 25% to 37% when bottled.

Japanese Rice Whisky 

Aside from the prominent malted barley, Japanese whisky also produces rice whisky, commonly known as the ’Sake.’ Like beer, rice whisky is fermented—using rice, water, yeast, and koji.

Blended Japanese Whisky

Japanese blended whiskies are made of grain, containing corn, rye, and even wheat as their base, with single malts combined from different casks and ages. 

This type of Japanese whisky often delivers profound, complex, and unique flavors to the whisky.

5 Most Popular Japanese Whisky Brands

1. Suntory Whisky

Suntory whisky is a pioneering brand of Japanese whisky. It offers single malts and blended Japanese whisky that are revolutionary and timeless.

This brand holds the most well-known and expensive bottles of Japanese whisky—the Yamazaki whisky single malt whisky, and Hibiki, one of the famous blended Japanese whisky.

2. Mars Whisky

Mars whisky is distilled in Japan’s highest whisky distillery located between Japan’s Southern Alps and Central Alps at 2,600 ft. above sea level.

It offers malt-driven whisky like the famed Iwai Tradition and other blended Japanese whisky finished in different casks like Sakura cask, Sherry cask, and plum wine cask.

3. Nikka Whisky

Nikka whisky is founded by Masataka Taketsuru, known as the ’father of Japanese whisky.’ The brand consists of single malts like Yoichi and Miyagikyo.

It also offers blended malt of varying ages, like Taketsuru and its premium blended whisky, the Nikka Tailored.

4. Akashi Whisky

Akashi whisky is owned by Eigashima Shuzo, also known as White Oak Distillery in Japan. This distillery is the first Japanese distillery to be licensed to make whiskey.

Aside from its well-known single malt whisky, the brand has the first ready-to-drink canned Japanese highball drink, Akashi Japanese Whisky Highball, from Eigashima Shuzo.

5. Akkeshi Whisky

Akkeshi is considered the second Japanese whisky distillery after the Yoichi distillery of Nikka whisky. It is referred to as the ’Little Lagavulin’ as it is comparable to the Scottish distillery.

This brand is one of the best-aged whisky producers of Japanese whiskies with an ex-bourbon barrel, Japanese Mizunara oak, sherry butt, and ex-wine casks finish.

“Whisky making is an act of cooperation between the blessings of nature and the wisdom of man” – Masataka Taketsuru, Nikka Whisky Founder

Common Japanese Whisky Prices

Type	Size	Average Price	Alcohol Content
Yamazaki 25-Year-Old Single Malt	750ml	Around $10,055	48%
Hibiki Harmony 12-Yr	750ml	Around $127	43%
Hakushu 12 Year Single Malt	750ml	Around $190	43%
Hakushu 18 Year Single Malt	750ml	Around $750	43%
Hakushu 25 Year Single Malt	700ml	Around $9,000	43%
Nikka Whisky Yoichi Single Malt	750ml	Around $125	45%
Miyagikyo Single Malt	750ml	Around $105	45%
Nikka Whisky from the Barrel	750ml	Around $90	51.4%
Kirin Fuji Sanroku	750ml	Around $150	50.0%
Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu ’The Peated’ 2015 Cask Strength	700ml	Around $800	62.5%
Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu ’On the Way’ Single Malt	700ml	Around $750	51.5%
Mars Iwai Tradition	750ml	Around $65	40%
White Oak Akashi Single Malt	750ml	Around $115	46%
Karuizawa Vintage Single Cask Malt	750ml	Around $62,000	57.4%

Caution: Japanese Whisky Authentic vs Fake

Since Japanese whisky prices are costing a bomb—you must be careful about getting an authentic bottle. 

Here are some tips to spot a fake Japanese whisky:

• The low print quality of the label.
• Crooked or dotted flat line on the rip seal.
• Misaligned writings.
• It doesn’t have the same color as the authentic bottle.
• The fill–level is not met or overly filled.

Compared To Other Whiskies 

Canadian Whisky

Canadian whiskies mostly use corn as a majority grain in its mash content which is cheaper than most malted barley.

Also, it doesn’t have many legal requirements to produce its whisky, making its bottles lower in price, and you can have the best affordable Canadian whisky sold for around $30 or less.

Scotch Whisky

Scotch whisky is comparable to Japanese whisky because of its main ingredient—malted barley, but Scotch whiskies tend to be more peated.

Although Japanese whisky imports many of its components from Scotland, the Japanese distilling process makes it more distinct. You can find a bottle of Scotch for around $50 or less.

FAQs

In Summary

More connoisseurs worldwide are turning towards Japanese whisky because of its fine whiskies made using the right skills and tools, imparted with a rich history.

Like other whiskies, Japanese offers different variations from traditional expressions to single malts and blended whiskies that could range up to more than a hundred thousand dollars.

So if you’re planning to buy a luxurious bottle of Japanese whisky, beware of the fake bottles in the market. Use the tips above to spot a fake bottle.

References:

1. https://asia.nikkei.com/Life-Arts/Life/Japanese-whisky-reaches-new-heights-ahead-of-centenary 
2. https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/news/japan-introduces-new-regulations-to-define-what-qualifies-as-japanese-whisky-022421