Fine whisky website launched in Japan

Fuelled by global demand for Japanese whisky, an English language, multi-currency online retail site called dekanta.com has gone live.

Karuizawa 29 years Bourbon and 30 years Sherry Geisha Labels… yours for HK$83,648

Aimed at the English-speaking consumer market, the new website specialises in fine and rare whiskies, some of which have never been available for sale outside of Japan.

With prices offered in USD, Euros, Renminbi, HKD, Yen, GBP and CHF, dekanter.com lists single malts, single grains and blends from such Japanese distillery favourites as Hibiki, Yamazaki and Ichiro as well as from closed down sites including Karuizawa, Hanju and Kagoshima.

There is also a substantial selection of Ji-Whisky – Japan’s answer to micro-distilling.

From further afield, browsers can find Scottish expressions bottled solely for Japanese release, such as the 14 year old Dragon Label by Three Rivers Bowmore and 21 year old Acorn’s from Bruichladdich.

The new site features detailed descriptions of the distillery, whisky, date distilled, date bottled, cask number, bottle number and all technical information and background about the distillery.

Dekanta.com is a family run business based in Tokyo who have been settling collectible whiskies since 1985 and encompasses warehouses in Japan and the UK as well as a collection office in Macau.

“Sales of Japanese whisky are rocketing, with record prices at auction making it the ideal time to launch the site,” said Makiyo Masa, director of dekanta.com.

“It is a fresh opportunity to buy world renowned names that have not previously been available outside Japan, from a website written in English which has one of the world’s largest stocks of Japanese whisky.”