Spirit connoisseurs have become enamoured with Japanese whisky in recent years. Merging traditional methodologies with native flavours, these varieties have taken on a personality of their own. It was once widely accepted that no whisky could measure up to the Scotch variety—after all, Scotland was the birthplace of the amber spirit. Nowadays, however, skilled Japanese producers are quashing such notions. Traditionally, Japan was known for its sublime sake and shōchū. Now, it is being heralded...