Hakushu

Suntory's second malt distillery sits at 700 metres in the forests of the Southern Japanese Alps, among granite peaks and bird sanctuaries, and the whisky tastes like the setting: green apple, mint and cucumber freshness over a wisp of smoke. Built in 1973 during Japan's whisky boom, Hakushu gives Suntory's blenders a mountain counterpoint to Yamazaki's river-valley richness — the highball of choice in Tokyo's best bars.