Over a decade ago, Japanese whiskey was not well known and not in demand, which resulted in some whiskey distilleries closing. As a result, the remaining Japanese distilleries planned for modest production quantities. Since aged (as opposed to no-age) whiskeys are typically sold after 25-, 18-, 15-, 12-, and 10 years, the modest production decision affects the future availability of these products. So production and availability of these products cannot be increased if demand suddenly increases in the future. Japanese whiskey's popularity has greatly increased since and the demand is so great now, that it outpaces the supply due to the previous modest production decision. As a result, prices for the older aged Japanese whiskeys has increased and are no longer available after the limited production quantities sold out.
The oldest, largest and most well-known Japanese whiskey producer is Suntory. Suntory is a large multinational Japanese company that produces many non- and alcoholic beverage products. Suntory's main whiskey brands are Yamazaki and Hakushu (there are more brands sold only in Japan), both of which are well known outside of Japan. Suntory produces both blended and single malt whiskeys. Single malt whiskey are from whiskeys only produced from one distillery, while blended whiskeys are mixtures from multiple distilleries.
Suntory's Yamazaki Distillery is located in the town of Yamazaki, which is between Osaka and Kyoto, and the the Hakushu Distillery is located in the town of Kobuchizawa, which is accessible from Tokyo. Both distilleries offer factory tours and I've had the opportunity to visit both factories (Yamazaki in Nov 2017 and Hakushu in Nov 2018). If you're planning a trip to Japan and/or a whiskey fan, please read the rest of the article for more information and pictures.
