After years of confusion (and sometimes intentional obfuscation), Japanese whisky finally got a set of standards and regulations in 2021… that were completely voluntary. Then last year, those rules became official… except they were still voluntary. Still, many of the major Japanese whisky brands were already compliant with the regulations and continue to be, which is a good thing for both consumers and producers. Now, a new logo has been unveiled to indicate that a bottle is in full compliance with the rules—and yes, it’s still voluntary, but it’s also another step in the right direction. The guidelines in question were created by the Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association (JSLMA) in an attempt to make sure that bottles labeled as Japanese whisky really contained whisky produced in Japan. That’s because for many years producers would label blends that included scotch or other types of whisky made in different countries as Japanese whisky, or even just..
