Before its native whisky became the style du jour across the globe, Japan’s greatest contribution to whiskey culture (or American whiskey culture, at least) was more fundamental. In the 1970s and 1980s, American whiskey was down for the count, beaten out by vodka, rum and gin. There was just no thirst for premium bourbons — except in Japan.
Raised on lofty age statement scotch whisky, Japanese drinkers wanted the old American bourbon America didn’t. The result was a flood of new bourbons that only ever saw the light of day in Japan. And despite the return of bourbon’s popularity in the land of its provenance, Japan continues to receive exclusive gems from some of America’s most notable producers. From Four Roses to Wild Turkey, here are the bourbons to hunt down on your next (or first) trip overseas.
Four Roses Super Premium
Four Roses’s history is inextricably tied to Japan. To survive American whiskey’s down years, the company shifted its gaze to more fruitful Asian and European markets — as proof, its straight bourbon didn’t return to the U.S. until 2002.
Vestiges of its overseas empire can be found on the back shelves of dusty liquor stores across Asia, but the company’s Super Premium bottling is its most readily available product there. Sometimes called Four Roses Platinum, it’s in almost every liquor and grocery store in Japan for the equivalent of $50 USD. Think of it as a fruitier, slightly more-mature version of Four Roses Small Batch.
