Japan, Hokkaido. Distillery operational. Owner: Nikka

Whisky Distilling (Asahi)Founded in 1934 by Masataka Taketsuru in the south-west of the island of Hokkaido in the fishing village from which it takes its name, Yoichi caused quite a stir when, in 2001, its 62.2% 10 Year Old was named “Best Single Malt in the World” by a panel formed primarily of journalists and professionals from the Scotch whisky industry. Since then, the ongoing stream of Japanese whiskies has continued to chip away at the assumed supremacy of Scottish, Irish and American whiskies in the international scene. Yoichi has played a particularly active role in this phenomenon, releasing numerous exclusive versions of its malt, including Yoichi 20 Year Old 1987, 55%; Yoichi 25 Year Old 1988, 62% and Yoichi 35 Year Old.

Yoichi 20 Year Old was part of Nikka’’s classic range. Launched in 1999, the same year as Yoichi 15 Year Old, it stood out for its long maturation and high bottling strength. In response to the growing success of Japanese whisky, Nikka stopped producing this version in 2015, along with its other whiskies featuring an age statement in order to concentrate on NAS bottlings, which put less pressure on stocks. These old releases, which were already very popular when they were available, have only become more sought-after since.