Announcing Whisky Galore & nomunication.jp

Today I am thrilled to announce that nomunication.jp and the Japan Whisky Research Centre have partnered up to bring you the world’s latest, most exclusive articles about Japanese whisky and spirits from the pages of Japan’s premier whisky and spirits magazine, Whisky Galore.

I‘ll be the first to admit that it’s tough to find reliable, up-to-date information about Japanese whisky and spirits in English. Hell, it’s tough to find in Japanese too! This is one of the main reasons I started nomunication.jp back in 2016.

And to really get the latest about what all these new spirits distilleries throughout Japan are up to, we should visit them on a regular basis. We need to talk to distillery staff, to company presidents. And not just as part of a tour — we need to see what’s happening behind the scenes.

Beginning today, you can do just that, without even leaving home!

Whisky Galore is Japan’s only whisky magazine. It’s a bimonthly publication of the Japan Whisky Research Centre (JWRC), the same company behind the Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition, Japan’s biggest Whisky Festivals, Whisky Kentei, and Whisky Connoisseur. If it’s related to whisk(e)y in Japan, chances are JWRC is somehow involved.

The magazine’s editorial philosophy is 現場主義, genba shugi, roughly translating to “boots on the ground.” In practice, this means that JWRC visits the distilleries in-person to get the absolute latest info, direct from its source. In fact, they’ve already been doing just that for several decades, giving them unparalleled knowledge and insight into the whisky and spirits scenes of Japan and other countries,

Like myself, Tsuchiya-san and the JWRC are passionate about spreading accurate knowledge and the latest news about Japanese whisky and spirits to the rest of the world. That’s why they have agreed to this partnership, allowing nomunication.jp to offer Whisky Galore’s great articles, posted right here in English.

Whisky Galore and nomunication.jp

For nomunication.jp readers, this is the best of both worlds. You’ll have access to exclusive content such as:

• On-site reports from Japan’s distilleries, big and small, so you have the latest information direct from its source
• Interviews with distillery staff and management, enabling you to hear first-hand what new challenges they are taking on, and understand their visions for the future of Japanese spirits
• Beautiful photography of the distilleries, their people, and their surroundings
• Tasting notes and ratings of the latest bottles of Japanese whisky and other spirits by multiple professional tasters (Masters of Whisky, etc)

Up until now, this information has otherwise only been in print, and only in Japanese. It’s an entirely new window into the world of Japanese spirits, available for the first time ever online!

Premium Content

Given the effort that goes into each and every one of the articles — both on the part of the Whisky Galore staff who visits the places, and myself — there is a small charge associated with access. But not a big one!

Unlimited access to premium articles from Whisky Galore will be available for just 1000 yen per month. Yes, that’s lower than the cost of a dram of Japanese whisky at many places in the world! You can expect to see at least one new article every two weeks. And of course, you’ll also be supporting this site, enabling us to bring you even more great content.

Ready to dig into the latest info? Join the Nomikai now!

To be crystal clear, these premium Whisky Galore articles will be offered in addition to nomunication.jp’s other content, which will of course remain free. Premium articles will be tagged as such in the article title, so you can easily tell the difference in your RSS feed or on the socials.

See you at the Nomikai!