Japanese Whiskey reviews from Reddit
Summary
We analyzed 395 Reddit reviews across 19 subreddits and 72 posts to rank the best Japanese Whiskey brands recommended by redditors, including communities like r/whiskey, r/WhiskeyTribe, r/bartenders, r/japan, r/JapaneseWhisky. Top-rated brands include Nikka (4.4/5), Hibiki (4.5/5), Yamazaki (4.4/5).
Stats
Reviews395
Subreddits19
Posts72
Brands42
Products69
395 reviews from
and
By Brand
/By Product
#1
Nikka
4.4
(155)
"Nikka Coffey Grain was my intro to Japanese whiskey. Easy sipper and awesome flavor."
"Nikka From The Barrel is what I'd like to recommend. Punchy but full of flavor."
"Nikka From the Barrel"
"I like the Nikka Coffey Malt."
"Value: Nikka from the Barrel"
"Nikka. Their gin is excellent as well."
"I like Nikka Coffey Grain"
"Nikka from the barrel is amazing"
"NIKKA COFFEY MALT WHISKY"
"Nikka by the Barrel if they have it. The best quality/price ratio of any Japanese whisky IMO."
#2
Hibiki
4.5
(69)
"Try out "Hibiki". Best one."
"Hibiki Harmony for the win"
"I’m a sucker for Hibiki Japanese Harmony Masters Select. I got bottles cheaper in Tokyo than back home so stocked up as it’s my favourite whiskey."
"Hibiki Harmony, any Ohishi, Kaiyo Mizunara Oak, and anything from Mars Distillery are worth trying"
"If you can find them hibiki 21 year and Nikka 17 year."
"Take home a Hibiki Blenders Choice"
"Ichiros and Hibiki Harmony."
"Hibiki Harmony is by far the best Japanese whiskey to give as a gift."
"Hibiki Harmony or Nikka from the Barrel."
"Hibiki harmony is a crowd pleaser."
#3
Yamazaki
4.4
(50)
"Yamazaki 12yr absolutely blew me away."
"I'd say definitely worth trying Yamazaki, Hibiki Harmony, and Nikka from the Barrel"
"Yamazaki 12 is $125 or so but it’s marvelous."
"I personally love yamazaki."
"Yamazaki 18. or if cheaper hakushu 12. or if sub $100 then Nikka coffey grain."
"Yamazaki 18."
"I second Yamazaki 18."
"Yamasaki 18 was my first nice whiskey and I don’t think I’ve tasted anything I’ve liked as much since."
"Omggggggg I’m just here to say Yamazaki is one of the best I’ve ever had."
"Yup, Yamazaki for days."
#4
Suntory
4.1
(35)
"The Chita by Suntory is an amazingly smooth Japanese whiskey IF you’re able to find it."
"Suntory or nikka"
"Suntory Hibiki Harmony! It’s a staple in Japanese whiskey."
"Suntory released their World Whisky AO which is a treat to sip on."
"Other recommendations would be the suntory hibiki and harmony, the cheaper of the two is a phenomenal mixer."
"For a relaxing time, make it a Suntory time."
"Aged variants of the three go for around 90/100 €/$. You cannot go wrong."
"Suntory Hibiki, Yamazaki and Hakushu are the way to go here."
"I’d look for something from Suntory or Nikka."
"Reminds me of glenfiddich 12"
#5
Hakushu
4.2
(15)
"Hakushu 12 is fantastic."
"Hakushu 12 and Nikka Whisky."
"Hakushu 12 is probably the best in that price range."
"The Hakushu 12 is delicious at around $90/bottle."
"Of the more frequently seen and more affordable Japanese whiskies, Hakushu is very mildly peated"
"I’ve heard that those who like Scotch tend to enjoy Hakushu more!"
"Either the Hakushu or Yamazaki."
"Hakushu 12 used to be my recommendation."
"Best that’s somewhat available is hakushu 12."
"Hakushu 12 should be your 3rd choice."
#6
Japanese Whisky
4.3
(6)
"I just had this over the weekend and loved it."
"This is one of the easiest drinking whiskies I’ve ever had, I’m so glad you got to try it!"
"You can however get plenty of great Japanese whiskey here in the US."
"Specs and other bigger stores will have the best prices on Japanese whiskey."
"99 liquor might be worth a shot."
"If you want to get a better sense of Japanese Whisky, check out Mac's channel, Kanpai Planet on youtube."
#7
Akashi
4.2
(6)
"If you can any single cask Akashi, and Japanese malt Akkeshi (not their blended stuff), those are worth a shot too."
"I love Akashi Ume. Lil on the sweet side but makes for a great sipper or an old fashioned to play on the fruit notes."
"I like akashi. Their basic bottle is like 40$ and great for the price."
"I like akashi. Their basic bottle is like 40$ and great for the price."
"Akashi Red is a nice one and not expensive."
"Akashi White Oak is a pretty good bottle under $40."
#8
Ichiro’s
5.0
(3)
"Any cask strength Ichiro’s malt. Absolutely stellar stuff."
"Ichiro’s and Komogatake."
"Technically not a Japanese whisky, but I’m a big fan of Ichiro’s Malt and Grain."
#9
Toki
3.5
(4)
"Toki is a good starter whiskey. And fairly affordable too."
"Toki is really good to me but it tastes like 8/10 scotch."
"Toki is really mild - I've heard that it is intended mainly for mixing."
"If you’re in the US, you cheapest JP whisky is probably toki at $40"
#10
Japanese Whiskey
4.3
(3)
"I would recommend finding a bar that has a selection of Japanese Whiskeys to sample before buying bottles."
"Japanese whiskeys tend to go to the light spicy side."
"I'll do you one better than Bic Camera and recommend Don Quixote."
#11
Fuji
4.3
(3)
"Fuji single grain - light and fruity and amazing"
"I did get some Fuji Single Grain Whiskey that's delightful. Affordable and (I think) fairly easy to come by."
"Fuji single grain, less known better tasting."
#12
Yamazaki 12
4.0
(3)
"Yamazaki 12, Hakushu 12, Hibiki Harmony, Nikka Whisky From The Barrel."
"The Yamasaki 12 is nice if you can find it for a decent price."
"Gotta go with the yamazaki 12 year."
#13
Mars
4.0
(3)
"I am quite partial to Mars Komagatake Nature of Shinshu - Rindo."
"Mars Iwai is honestly a good solid Japanese whisky."
"Mars Iwai is pretty good and shouldn’t break the bank."
#14
Yoichi
3.7
(3)
"Yoichi and Miyagikyo are both great, under-$100 picks."
"I'm pretty fond of Yoichi."
"To be perfectly frank, I don't believe entry-level (by price) Japanese whisky exists any longer."
#15
Chichibu
5.0
(2)
"If you have a very substantial budget, I would look for a Chichibu"
"Fin a Chichibu if you can - check Shininoya"
#16
Nikka Coffey Grain
5.0
(2)
"I love Nikka Coffey Grain!"
"Nikka Coffey Grain 🥃"
#17
Hanyu
5.0
(2)
"The best I own is Hanyu 1991 Single Cask #370."
"The two best I've tasted are Hanyu single casks."
#18
Harmony
4.5
(2)
"I really like the Harmony."
"Harmony is a great tasting whisky, especially introduction for Japanese whisky."
#19
Kaiyo
4.5
(2)
"Kaiyo"
"I left with a bottle of Kaiyo and my friend enjoyed it."
#20
Nikka from the Barrel
4.5
(2)
"Nikka from the barrel or hibiki"
"Nikka from the Barrell and Kaiyo Cask Strength are pretty good."
#21
Iwai
4.5
(2)
"Iwai 45 and hibiki are my faves"
"Iwai 45 is my favorite for sipping on a budget"
#22
Suntory Toki
4.0
(2)
"If you like Glenlivet... then Suntory Toki is a good one."
"Suntory toki is good, never tried nikka but I've had my eyes peeled for it."
#23
Taketsuru
3.5
(2)
"I think the Taketsuru is great and a decent value."
"To be perfectly frank, I don't believe entry-level (by price) Japanese whisky exists any longer."
#24
Method and Madness
5.0
(1)
"Method and Madness Single Pot Still Chestnut Cask. Delicious!"
#25
Kurayoshi
5.0
(1)
"I also got a wonderful 12 year old Kurayoshi malt whiskey that Id highly recommend."
#26
Black Nikka
5.0
(1)
"Get some BLACK NIKKA down your thrapple."
#27
Ichiro's Malt
5.0
(1)
"Their branch in Tenmonkan is amazing."
#28
Karuizawa
5.0
(1)
"Karuizawa...gotta dig deep but I bet it will appreciate 1.5x-3x in value in 5 yrs."
#29
Takesuru
5.0
(1)
"I was able to get a Takesuru 17 for under $200."
#30
Kannosuke
5.0
(1)
"Kannosuke 2023 edition, if you can find it, is heavily peated."
#31
Akkeshi
5.0
(1)
"Get any Akkeshi single malt they are fantastic and use Japanese peat"
#32
Redbreast 12
5.0
(1)
"Irish whiskey Redbreast 12"
#33
Akashi Red
4.0
(1)
"Akashi Red is a nice one and not expensive."
#34
The Chita
4.0
(1)
"I like The Chita a lot, cheap but good."
#35
Nikka Miyagikyo
4.0
(1)
"I'd try Nikka Miyagikyo, Nikka Yoichi, or Hakushu 12 yr."
#36
Kaigan
4.0
(1)
"Kaigan is really good"
#37
Yamato
4.0
(1)
"If you want a cool bottle, try Yamato mizunara cask. The whiskey ain’t bad either but it can be a bit pricy."
#38
The Matsui
4.0
(1)
"Another one to try would be The Matsui Mizunara Cask."
#39
Kirin
4.0
(1)
"I am on my second bottle of Kirin Whisky Single Malt 18 year old."
#40
Nirasaki
4.0
(1)
"Hot take: Nirasaki is the best bang for your buck"
#41
White Oak
4.0
(1)
"Some good, but lesser famous internationally options are White Oak and Nikka."
#42
Suntory 7 Year Old
2.0
(1)
"I wouldn't suggest buying a cheaper bottle of Japanese whiskey, because the 7 year old Suntory is really crappy."
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