The whiskeys in Japan and their prices in 1985.
Hello, I am the owner of Antique Liquor. Like you, I am one of those who love Old Bottle whiskey, and when I research Old Bottle whiskeys widely, I often come across unknown whiskeys. Among these Old Bottle liquors, there are some great bargains that perform very well for the current trading price, so it's fun to look for them like a treasure hunt.
To find such treasured whiskeys, it is a good idea to look for information such as the price and product description at the time of release, but from the 1960s to the 1990s, when Old Bottle whiskeys were in circulation, information about whiskeys was not available on the Internet. For this reason, information about Old Bottle whiskeys is very scarce, and it seems that there is less information about Japanese Old Bottle whiskeys than about Old Bottle Scotch whiskeys, which have a long history and a wide market.
Below, we share information about Japanese whiskeys that were on the market in the early 1980s. By comparing the selling prices at the time, we can also infer the level of each whiskey that the whiskey makers had in mind.
SUNTORY THE WHISKY (50,000 yen)
This ultra-luxury product was created by bringing together all of the company's historical knowledge and technical expertise. It took six months to carefully select and blend over 1.6 million barrels of malt whiskey.
SUNTORY 1899 (30,000 yen)
Japan's first whiskey was made in 1899 when Kotobukiya, the predecessor of Suntory, founded a distillery in Yamazaki, Kyoto, and this limited edition was produced to commemorate the 60th anniversary of that time.
SUNTORY IMPERIAL (15,000 yen)
It was released in 1964 to commemorate the Tokyo Olympics, and attracted attention as a whiskey with a price tag of 10,000 yen, which was extremely expensive at the time. The bottles were manufactured by Kagami Crystal in Japan, but strangely enough, the above document states that the bottles were made of hand-blown crystal from Bohemia Glass.
SUNTORY PURE MALT WHISKU YAMAZAKI (10,000 yen)
A new product made from 100% Yamazaki malt liquor, which was rare at the time. This is the origin of Yamazaki whiskey. Compared to current products, it has a much richer taste and aroma, and a stronger sense of maturity.
SUNTORY ROYAL (round bottle 4,500 yen, square bottle 5,000 yen, barrel 20,000 yen)
Released in 1960 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Kotobukiya, the predecessor of Suntory. It is said that founder Shinjiro Torii poured all of his skills and experience into this malt whisky, skillfully blended from a huge number of carefully selected barrels, and is considered Torii's masterpiece for its elegant and beautiful flavor. Incidentally, this barrel-shaped bottle (1800ml) is not an actual barrel, so the whisky does not age inside like an oak barrel.
SUNTORY KAKU (2,750 yen)
When it was first released in 1937, it was officially named "Suntory Whisky 12 Years Old." After that, it eventually came to be called "Kakubin," and there's an interesting story behind how that nickname became the official name.
SUNTORY 21 (2,330 yen)
The name represents the momentum and spirit of Suntory as it pushes forward into the 21st century. The alcohol content is kept at 40%, making it a light and light drink perfect for women. It is said to pair perfectly with Perrier, a natural sparkling water from France.
SUNTORY OLD (Daruma bottle 3,170 yen, barrel-shaped bottle 3,300 yen, Ushi-sai bottle 5,000 yen)
Commonly known as "Daruma" or "Tanuki," this whiskey goes well with Japanese food. It was first released in 1940 and relaunched in 1950. It is made using a large amount of sherry cask-aged malt liquor from Yamazaki Distillery, and is a highly regarded Japanese whiskey that does not lose its flavor even when mixed with hot water or soda.
MILD NIKKA
This is a soft whiskey that Nikka released in 1983 to coincide with the trend for lighter flavors. It is said to have pursued the ultimate in mildness by using a method of re-aging in barrels after blending.
WHITE OAK RESERVE
After being distilled twice, it is made using only pure malt that has been aged for eight years, resulting in a fine liquor with a rich aroma and a long finish.
SUPER NIKKA (Crystal round bottle 3,570 yen, White Cow ceramic bottle 5,000 yen, Famous painting ceramic bottle 5,000 yen)
In 1934, Masataka Taketsuru established Dai Nippon Kaju (the predecessor of Nikka) in Hokkaido, and Nikka later grew rapidly as a Japanese whiskey manufacturer. This Super Nikka is said to be the catalyst for the rapid expansion of the fan base in Japan.
NIKKA TSURU (15,000 yen)
Released in 1976, this prestige whisky represents the culmination of Nikka's technology. It is said to be Nikka's masterpiece, named after the founder of Nikka, Masataka Taketsuru, and has the character "Tsuru" (crane).
NIKKA FORTUNE `80 (10,000 yen)
This whiskey was released in 1981 and is characterized by its mildness.
NIKKA G&G / Nikka G&G black bottle (3,020 yen), Nikka G&G white bottle (3,170 yen)
This is a masterpiece that pursues the real whiskey by blending whiskey from Scotland, the birthplace of whiskey. The black bottle uses Lowland malt to create a mild and smooth character, while the white bottle uses Highland malt to bring out a rich flavor.
NIKKA PURE MALT BLACK & RED / Nikka Pure Malt Black Label & Red Label
This new product is made from 100% malt whiskey. Although the ingredients have not been disclosed, it is rumored that the Black Label is a blend of Yoichi whiskey and Highland malt, while the Red Label is a blend of Miyagikyo whiskey and Lowland whiskey. The Black Label is characterized by its rich flavor, while the Red Label is characterized by its light and floral flavor. The idea was to blend these two whiskeys together to create a new blended whiskey that suits your taste and have fun.
OCEAN KARUIZAWA (15,000 yen)
In 1976, Japan's first premium single malt whiskey was released in limited quantities. The Karuizawa region is known for its foggy humidity and cold temperatures, making it the perfect environment for whiskey making. The aroma of the oak barrels is said to be on par with the world's finest whiskeys. Unusually for this time, it is recommended to drink it straight.
OCEAN ASAMA (10,000 yen)
This is the second highest quality blended whiskey after Ocean Karuizawa. It is a limited production whiskey of 30,000 bottles per year.
OCEAN STATUS (5,000 yen)
It is a blend of Karuizawa malt whiskey that has been aged for a long time and inherits the lineage of "Karuizawa" and "Asama". It is a masterpiece with a good balance of richness and mellowness, and is a high-class Japanese whiskey that can be said to have an image of a rich adult.
OCEAN SPECIAL OLD (3,170 yen)
Released in 1965, this is the most popular of the ocean whiskies.
Above, we have introduced some representative Japanese whiskeys from the 1980s. We hope this information will be helpful when selecting an Old Bottle whiskey.