New regulations aim to protect the legacy of Japanese whisky
Credit: PA
This week, in a landmark move, Japanese whisky producers took the first steps to safeguard the future of their spirit. Introducing new regulations to help strengthen the provenance of Japanese whisky, it comes amidst a rising tide of ‘fakes’ being mis-sold to unwitting consumers around the world – and will protect the reputation and legacy of the country s industry.
The regulations, issued by the Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association (JSLMA) have been agreed by all members, including both the major players, Suntory and Ashai Breweries (the parent company of Nikka Whiskies), and effectively define the term ‘Japanese whisky’, its production, bottling and labelling, acting as a firewall between those which are authentic and those pretending to be Japanese – in a business which, over the past decade, has become a grey and largely unregulated area.