About old bottle whiskies that were available in Japan in 1983

Hello, I am the owner of Antique Liquor.

This time, I will share information about whiskies that were in circulation in Japan in 1983. This material is a compilation of information on various types of alcohol distributed in Japan between 1982 and 1983, published by Kodansha in 1983. In addition to whisky, the book introduces wines, brandies such as cognac, and beers, but I have extracted and introduced only the whisky information below.

All the whiskies introduced in this book are believed to have been available in Japan in 1983, but they were not necessarily bottled or shipped around that year. Looking at the list, it appears that some whiskies produced in the 1970s are also included.

At that time, Japan was in a period of rapid economic growth and was actively importing luxury whiskies, but globally, the popularity of whisky was not very high. As a result, even in the 1980s, whiskies produced before the 1970s were not fully consumed and remained in circulation as they were.

Among the whiskies mentioned, we see Royal Lochnagar 12Y, Linkwood 12Y, Mortlach 12Y, and Highland Park 21Y and 12Y. These are delicious whiskies that bring a smile to your face just by looking at the photos.

In particular, Mortlach 12Y was bottled as a single malt whisky, which was very rare at the time, and it is a delicious whisky where you can enjoy elegant old sherry notes. Also, while perhaps not reaching the level of Mortlach 12Y, Highland Park, Linkwood, and Lochnagar are highly refined whiskies that offer a well-balanced old sherry experience.

Personally, I find the character of Knockando 12Y to be thin and do not think it is very tasty. If you are going to buy Knockando, I recommend the screw-cap version bottled in the 1970s.

The timeless masterpiece, Macallan 12Y, was sold at 15,000 yen, which was expensive for a 12-year-old whisky at the time. The Macallan 12Y from this era shows performance that easily exceeds the current 18-year-old version, making it a highly desirable whisky.

Seeing that Talisker 12Y, which is now traded at very high prices, was sold for 10,000 yen back then makes me feel that those were indeed the good old days.

In addition, Tomatin 10Y is another delicious whisky that stirs one's desire. The Tomatin 10Y distributed for the Japanese and U.S. markets was bottled at 43%, which is 3% higher than the 40% version distributed in Europe and other regions, showing a higher level of performance.

The lineup includes Glenesk 12Y from a closed distillery, Glen Elgin 12Y from the White Horse era, Glen Dullan 12Y, which was rare for its time being bottled at a high alcohol content of 47%, Glen Dronach 12Y, which offers a fruity and tropical feel, and Dufftown 8Y, bottled at a high alcohol content of 46%.

The performance of the high-proof Glen Dullan 12Y is particularly exceptional, making it one of my personal favorites. Dufftown 8Y was initially released at 46%, but was later diluted to 43%, and finally to 40%, yet the 46% version undoubtedly offered the best performance.

These are Bowmore and Springbank whiskies. The Bowmores in the photo appear to be the Bicentenary 29Y and the Deluxe, both of which are wonderfully delicious old Bowmores. Bowmore Deluxe was released in the late 1970s, but because it is a screw-cap specification, there is little deterioration due to evaporation, and most bottles maintain excellent condition.

Argyll whisky is a rare Springbank single malt whisky bottled without using the Springbank name. In the early 1980s, quite a few whiskies were released without the name of a specific distillery, and their quality was often high. Among these Argyll whiskies, the QE2, bottled for the luxury cruise ship Queen Elizabeth 2, is recommended because it was bottled at a high alcohol content of nearly 49%, allowing many bottles to maintain good condition even today.

Among the whiskies mentioned above, Bunnahabhain (referred to as Bunnahabhin at the time) is especially recommended. After opening, the aroma and flavor of the whisky open up in about two weeks to a month, showing wonderful performance.

The famous Dalmore 12Y is also intriguing, but given its recent rarity and market price, its performance feels weak; I would rather recommend the tall bottle released after this one.

Suntory's Yamazaki whisky was newly launched in 1984, so in 1983, blended whisky was the mainstream of Japanese whisky. Famous whiskies of this period, as shown in the photo, were Suntory The Whisky, Suntory Imperial, and Suntory Royal 60'.

As for Japanese whiskies in 1983, in addition to Suntory, Nikka also released whiskies like these. Among them, Super Nikka is famous, but personally, I would recommend Nikka Tsuru, which was released in a ceramic bottle.

One of the most popular luxury whiskies from the 1970s to the 1980s was Johnnie Walker. In particular, Johnnie Walker Black Label was sold at a price comparable to single malt whiskies at the time.

Johnnie Walker whisky is based on Cardhu whisky, with key malts such as Talisker and Clynelish, which are still very popular and rare today. Its deep flavor and level of perfection are truly impressive.

Among Scotch whiskies, including blended ones, the most famous is likely Ballantine's. In 1983, whiskies exceeding 12 years of age were rare, but Ballantine's released many expressions, including a 30-year-old. At the time, the price of Ballantine's 30Y was 80,000 yen, circulating as an extremely expensive luxury item.

This is a blended whisky from Tomatin Distillery. While blended whiskies often have a diluted personality, these whiskies are full of character, with a faithful malty deliciousness and a distinct, moderate smokiness.

Among these, Tomatin Gold Label is a Japan-exclusive product specially blended by the president of Tomatin Distillery himself in the 1970s, and it is a highly refined whisky. Also, Tomatin 12Y was released to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the launch of Tomatin Gold Label. These are old bottle whiskies I would especially recommend among blended Scotch whiskies.

Ambassador whisky is a Scotch blended whisky that has been distributed in Japan since 1969, featuring a lineup of long-aged whiskies up to 25 years. It is highly likely that Ambassador whisky contained malt whiskies from Scapa and Glen Scotia as its main constituents. These malt whiskies are thought to have contributed to Ambassador's light and balanced flavor profile.

Royal Salute from Chivas Brothers is known as a top-tier Scotch blended whisky on par with Ballantine's. At the time, it was blended from spirits aged at least 21 years and sold at a very high price of 45,000 yen. Besides Royal Salute, the Chivas Regal series was also sold as luxury whiskies with long aging up to 25 years.

There is a lineup of famous and popular blended whiskies such as Logan, White Horse, and Usquaebach, all of which are highly refined. Among them, I would like to recommend Vat 69, which used Glenesk as the key malt, and Vat 69 Reserve, a premium version of Vat 69 made from spirits aged at least 16 years. Above, I have briefly shared the situation while looking at the materials on old bottle whiskies. I hope this serves as a reference for your whisky life.

Reference Source: Sekai no Meishu Jiten '82-'83 Edition - Kodansha, 1983