Japanese whisky has spent most of the last decade in short supply. Demand grew much faster than distilleries could lay down aged stock, and some well-known bottles disappeared altogether. Hibiki 17 was discontinued in 2018, and Hakushu 12 was withdrawn from several markets the same year. Prices have kept rising ever since, with Suntory raising its prices in Japan in 2024 and again in 2026.
So, is there still value to be found in Japanese whisky? Each of the “overrated” whiskies below has a strong reputation, but its price has climbed well past what it offers compared with other bottles on the shelf. The good news is that there are some great alternatives. The five picks below offer better bang for your buck, so you can still enjoy Japanese whisky without overpaying.
Overrated: Yamazaki 18 Year Old, 43%, £575 / $730
Yamazaki 18 has one of the best awards records in Japanese whisky, including Supreme Champion Spirit at the International Spirits Challenge 2025. It has wonderful notes of dark chocolate, stewed fruit, pine resin, plums, ginger and sandalwood.
What Will Whisky Look Like in 2027? Voices from Whisky Live Paris
READ THE STORYA good whisky, absolutely. But the prices have just kept climbing. Around a decade ago, it cost about £170 in the UK ($265 USD), and retailers now ask around £575 and upwards of $730 in the US. Average auction prices sit closer to £360, which makes the retail price even harder to justify.
Instead: Miyagikyo 10 Year Old, 45%, £145 / $180
Nikka brought Miyagikyo 10 Year Old back to the UK in April 2026, making it the distillery’s first age-statement release since 2016. It’s matured in American oak and sherry casks, and the tasting notes include pineapple, mango, fruit cake, and clove.
It’s eight years younger than Yamazaki 18, so this isn’t a direct swap. It is still expensive, sure. But even so, you get an aged Japanese single malt for a fraction of the price.
Trending Content
Overrated: Hakushu 12 Year Old, 43%, £129 / $160
Hakushu 12 was brought back in 2021 after being discontinued, and it won gold at the International Spirits Challenge 2025. You might find fresh-cut fruit, citrus zest and gentle barley, with a wisp of smoke on the finish.
Around a decade ago, a bottle cost about £80 in the UK and $115 in the US, but the price has risen significantly. It’s a lovely whisky, but at today’s price there are better ways to spend the money.
Instead: Nikka Yoichi Single Malt, 45%, £65 / $54
Yoichi Single Malt is matured in new American oak and sherry casks and made with lightly peated malt. Tasting notes include smoke, sea brine, candied orange, and nutmeg.
It doesn’t carry an age statement, but it’s bottled at a higher strength and costs a lot less than Hakushu 12. If you like Hakushu for its touch of smoke but would like a little more power on the palate, Yoichi is well worth a try.
Overrated: Yamazaki 12 Year Old, 43%, £120 / $150
Yamazaki 12 has a long history of awards. It was the first Japanese whisky to win gold at the International Spirits Challenge in 2003, and it was named Supreme Champion Spirit there in 2024. On the palate, you might find honey, cinnamon, peach and toffee.
Around a decade ago, it cost about £65 in the UK, and it now sells for around £120. It’s still a very good whisky, but it’s hard to call it good value anymore, which is a massive shame.
Instead: Mars Komagatake Single Malt, 45%, £82 / $90
Komagatake is the single malt from Hombo Shuzo’s Mars Shinshu distillery in Nagano, and the core release is bottled at 45%. Tasting notes include apple tea, apricot, and persimmon. It is bright, clean, and lingering.
It’s bottled at a higher strength than Yamazaki 12, and costs noticeably less. It’s a great way to explore a Japanese distillery beyond the big two names.
Overrated: Hibiki Japanese Harmony, 43%, £72 / $73
Hibiki Japanese Harmony is a blend of malt whisky from Yamazaki and Hakushu with grain whisky from Chita, and it won gold at the International Spirits Challenge 2025. You might find rose, lychee and sandalwood on the nose, with honey, candied orange peel and white chocolate on the palate.
When it launched in the UK in 2015, it cost around £54, and it now sells for about £75. That’s a smaller jump than some on this list, but it’s still a lot to pay for a blend with no age statement. The price here is more about the presentation, in my opinion. A beautiful bottle, for sure, but a harder value sell if you’re focusing on the whisky.
Instead: Fuji Single Blended, 43%, £60 / $70
Fuji Single Blended is made entirely from malt and grain whiskies distilled at Kirin’s Fuji Gotemba distillery and matured in ex-bourbon casks. Tasting notes include coconut, dried apricot, peach, and citrus peel.
It’s the same strength as Hibiki Harmony and usually costs a little less. Like Hibiki Harmony, it is light and gentle, making it an easy swap if that is what you’re looking for.
Overrated: Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve, 43%, £67 / $90
Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve is a no-age-statement single malt, matured in a mix of wine, sherry and Mizunara casks. On the palate, you might find strawberry, raspberry, cherry and white peach, with vanilla and cinnamon on the finish.
Around a decade ago, it cost about £40 in the UK and $65 in the US, and it now sells for around £70. It’s a nice introduction to Yamazaki, but it’s now priced like a whisky with an age statement.
Instead: Ichiro’s Malt & Grain World Blended Whisky, 46.5%, £56 / $62
Ichiro’s Malt & Grain is a world blend from Ichiro Akuto, who founded the Chichibu distillery. It combines Chichibu whisky with whiskies from Scotland, Ireland, Canada and the US. Because some of the whisky is distilled outside Japan, it doesn’t meet the Japanese whisky labeling standards introduced in 2021.
That is not a bad thing, though. This is a very well-put-together blend. Tasting notes include apple, pear, honey, and cinnamon.
Japanese Whisky Is Still Worth Exploring
None of the five overrated bottles on this list are bad whiskies, and if prices come down in the years ahead, some of them could be good buys again. Whisky writer Dave Broom told Adam O’Connell at Master of Malt that “price is really important because it’s way too expensive,” and in the same interview he singled out the new Mars and Fuji whiskies as being priced well. Until the rest of the market follows, there’s still plenty of good whisky from Japan to enjoy without overpaying.
