Japanese Whisky's Legal Loophole

The demand for Japanese whiskies has far outpaced the supply over
the last five years, and entrepreneurs are taking advantage of a
loophole in Japanese law big enough to sail a tanker ship through
- as in a tanker ship full of whisky. There's nothing to stop a
clever whisky maker from buying bulk whisky from distillers in
other countries and shipping it to Japan, then bottling it as
"Japanese Whisky." It's been a common - but not widely discussed
- practice among Japan's whisky makers for many years, but with
their reputations now on the line, industry and government are
discussing how to implement a legal definition for Japanese
whiskies. Liam McNulty, who blogs as "Whisky Richard" about
Japanese whiskies, broke this story recently and will join us on
WhiskyCast In-Depth with an explanation. In the news, we'll have
the latest on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on whisky
makers, including one who lost out on help from the U.S.
government when its bank dropped the ball.