A recent report argues that Indian and Japanese whiskies are as good as Scotch whiskies and it is not necessary for a whiskey to be Scotch-centric to taste the best. As per Dr David Wishart, of St Andrews University:
To say that a flavour is determined by where it is from is to pull the wool over the eyes of consumers. The distilling process can be mirrored all over the world. India and Japan produce excellent whiskies that are the equal of many produced in Scotland. Scotland has no right to be assumed as the place where you get the best whisky.
Wishart’s has tasted whiskeys from Scotland and from other parts of the world
and concludes that there are whiskies that are identical in all the twelve flavors available in a Speyside. But what Gerry Tosh, global brand ambassador for Highland Park Whisky, is equally true:
The water for the production process of Highland Park can only be sourced from Cattie Maggie’s Spring on Orkney while the peat used in the kiln drying process comes from nearby Hobbister Hill. It’s misleading to suggest the fine malts produced in Scotland, can be replicated elsewhere around the globe.
Therefore, it is quite a dicey subject to conclude on the lines of authenticity of Scotch whiskies to dismissing the best whisky as being Scotch-centric.
