Japan, Hokkaido. Distillery operational. Owner: Nikka

Whisky Distilling (Asahi)Founded in 1934 by Masataka Taketsuru in the south-west of the island of Hokkaido in the fishing village from which it takes its name, Yoichi caused quite a stir when, in 2001, its 62.2% 10 Year Old was named “Best Single Malt in the World” by a panel formed primarily of journalists and professionals from the Scotch whisky industry. Since then, the ongoing stream of Japanese whiskies has continued to chip away at the assumed supremacy of Scottish, Irish and American whiskies in the international scene. Yoichi has played a particularly active role in this phenomenon, releasing numerous exclusive versions of its malt, including Yoichi 20 Year Old 1987, 55%; Yoichi 25 Year Old 1988, 62% and Yoichi 35 Year Old.

Yoichi Single Malt is a blend of several malts produced at the Hokkaido distillery. This former NAS edition (No Age Statement) launched in 2007 was replaced in 2015 when the range was updated, with today’’s Yoichi Single Malt taking its place and offering a different blend presented in a 70 cl bottle rather than this 50 cl version. This became the main bottling in the official range.