My friends were involved in popularizing this on the west coast, worked for and with Yamazaki. This is a misleading title. The article says nothing about why it’s “so good.” Only why it is hard to find. At best it mentions that “People see Japanese whisky as a super premium product.” But this is pure perception. The “goodness” is assumed. Rarity itself is proof positive.

I am not saying anything about the actual quality of Japanese whisky here (I happen to like much of it). But I will note that the concepts of “good” in the spirits world are very much influenced by subtle and not so subtle signals like this article title, brand ambassadors, good stories, exclusivity, “authenticity”, etc.