ORDER A SCOTCH - AND GET A JAPANESE

Time was when a discerning man drinking whisky would automatically choose a Scotch but the days when Scottish distilleries had it all there own way have long gone, and whisky now comes from all over the globe.

In addition to the better known American Bourbons and Irish whiskey, there are whiskies from Australia, Finland, India, Germany and of course England, as well as a mixed bag of brands from such as Turkey, Switzerland, Sweden and Belgium.

But for some of the finest water of life outside Scotland, the Japanese spirits are hard to beat. Largely produced in the Scottish tradition, they have not only taken many international awards but have been recognised by the Scots for their quality.

The Suntory brands, Hakushu, Hibiki, Yamazaki, are well established in the West. Nikka, not yet so well known but heading that way, is another that, like Suntory, stems from a disciple of Scottish distilling.

A young Masataka Taketsuru came to Scotland in 1919 to learn about blending and distilling. Like many another, he took to the spirit and decided to devote his life to it - in a productive way -  going on to establish his own distillery in Japan. His first bottle emerged in 1940, an inauspicious time for any launch, but his company managed to survive the war and went on to become the Nikka brand.

He was undoubtedly helped in his efforts by his other Scottish love, for a Glaswegian lass named Jessie Cowan. The two married in Scotland before moving to Japan. She somewhat surprisingly changed her name to Rita – given the difficulty the Japanese have with pronouncing the letter R.

The company has come a long way since this romance, as evidenced in its Yoichi 10 year old single malt twice being selected by Whisky Magazine as the world’s best whisky. In the World Whisky Awards in 2007, Nikka Whisky From The Barrel won the award of best Japanese whisky under 12 years old.

These were both featured in a tasting session Nikka staged in the City of London this May, which included the Nikka Coffey Grain, a smooth single grain whisky, through to the brand’s premium single malts.

After the serious tasting came some tempting cocktails, created especially for the occasion by ace cocktail shaker, Tiziano Tasso, at Smiths of Smithfield. Top choice was one named after that Scottish lady who helped start this brand, Rita, a mix of Nikka’s Taketsuru 17 year old blended malt, with pomegranate, grapefruit juice and champagne.

Nikka goes for fairly plain bottling, as in the 'Nikka Whisky From the Barrell' at top, in its distinctive square bottle, used in a cocktail created by Tiziano Tasso;, and left, the smooth 'Coffey Grain' in its plain bottle, distilled mainly from corn in a Coffey still.

Prices for Nikka whiskies range from around the £30 mark up to £180  for the Yoichi 20 year old malt, sold through good independents and online.

BUT SCOTTISH WHISKY SAILS ON...

As the Japanese up their marketing operations in the West, so Scotch producers have intensified their promotional activities around the globe.  While the take-over of many Scottish distilleries by major corporations may be a source of some sadness, it has seen a much more robust and professional marketing of their products on the international market.

Drinks conglomerate Diageo, owner of  Johnnie Walker, has followed in the footsteps of the distillery’s founder, to reaffirm its pre-eminence in the whisky market under the graceful sails of this yacht, its sails emblazoned with its master’s good name – John Walker & Sons  and its own title of Voyager.

In the 1800s, the Walker family travelled extensively to sell their whisky, blazing an early trail for Scotch. The voyaging of this vessel has been inspired their adventurous spirit, and its latest journey marks the launch of the brand’s new single malt, Odyssey.

The yacht has already covered the old spice route, starting in China, and is now cruising the Med, from Genoa and calling at Cannes, Monaco, Athens and Barcelona, and then on to  Amsterdam, London, Hamburg and Copenhagen, before returning to its home base in Scotland, Edinburgh. Each port of call sees an eager shipload of guests coming aboard to sample the whisky and enjoy the ambience of its elegant 1920s-style.

The yacht docks in London over the 15th, 16th and 17th of July and will play host to a fortunate numbers of whisky enthusiasts and celebrities.