Partly supply and demand. Japanese whisky has been enjoyed domestically for decades. Up until the 1980s, it was the drink. Then schochu, a light, rice-based spirit, came along and whims changed. Whisky fell out of favour in Japan and sadly, many distilleries closed. Then, around 2003, the world woke up to the deliciousness of Japanese whisky. Key expressions, like Yamazaki 12 Year Old and Hibiki 30 Year Old, scooped up a plethora of awards. Everyone wanted a bit of Japanese whisky! The problem? Production had been hugely reined in and there wasn’t enough to meet demand. The problem became more and more severe, until distilleries announced that they simply couldn’t keep producing age-statement products anymore. As recently as May 2018, Beam Suntory announced it would have to stop selling Hibiki 17 Year Old and Hakushu 12 Year Old. “At the moment, demand outweighs supply, making continued sale difficult,” a spokesperson summed up. And when supply falls, demand isn’t the only thing to rise: prices do, too. So try as much Japanese whisky as you can!