Japanese Whisky and The Way of Kashrus

 

Japanese Whisky and The Way of Kashrus

ジャパニーズウイスキーとカシュルートの道

 

道 Michi  - translation "the Way", is a term used to denote the fundamental principle underlying a system of thought or belief, an art, or a skill.

Recently I was asked by a distinguished Kashrus Rabbi in South Africa for my opinion on whether observant Jews could drink Japanese Single Malt Whisky without Kosher Certification. (Actually, there are no Japanese Single Malt Whiskies, as far as I am aware which currently have a reliable hechsher). I was informed that Japanese Whisky happens to be really popular amongst members of the Jewish community in that country.

As always, when asked this kind of question, I replied that I was not a Posek (Decider of Jewish Law) and could only try to give him the relevant facts for their Poskim in South Africa to decide the kashrus suitability of Japanese Whisky.

As I understand it, the general rule for AKO (Association of Kashrus Organisations) members is to give an automatic “ishur” (approval) for all Single Malt Whisky from Scotland, unless the whisky label, website or other official promotional material, states that the Whisky was matured, even partially (or finished) in Ex-Sherry or Ex-Wine casks.

When it comes to Japanese Whisky, the most common question which I hear all the time from Orthodox Jewish Whisky lovers, is whether, regarding Kashrus, the same general guidelines set for Scotch Single Malt Whisky can also be applied to Japanese Single Malt Whisky?

Important Disclaimer: Before I reveal the results of my investigation, I want to point out that I was not paid any money, neither was I given any other material incentives by any party for what turned out to be around 80 hours of research and I remain throughout completely independent.

As most of you reading this will know, I only claim to be an authority on Scotch Single Malt Whisky and in particular, Cask practices within the Scottish Whisky Industry.

See the link to download my book

“Sherry Casks Usage in the Scottish Whisky Industry”

available as a free PDF file here:

https://rebmordechaireviews.blogspot.com/p/single-malt-whiskies-matured-in-casks.html

Obviously, living in Israel, I also have extensive knowledge of what’s going on in the local Israeli Whisky scene (although I have avoided up until now, all national Whisky festivals due to their total disregard when it comes to problems with Kashrus and Whisky).

Japanese Whisky

Japanese Whisky has never held much interest for me up until now but I enjoy a good challenge. I approached the subject in the same way as I would any Whisky kashrus question. I would need to compile reliable data from acknowledged experts in the field and preferably, get to speak to people who actually work in the industry.

I reached out to my fellow Whisky enthusiasts around the world which includes the top YouTube Whisky channel content providers.

Roy Duff runs one of the most popular Whisky Channels, “Aqvavitae” on YouTube, Instagram and other social media platforms. As well as his (in)famous “Recycled Whisky Reviews” (where he stands by the Recycle bin in the garden of his home in Glasgow, a basket of empty whisky bottles by his side, and proceeds to review the previous contents of each bottle before un-ceremoniously tossing the bottle into the recycle bin), he also hosts virtual world whisky events on his “vPub” live events. Roy very kindly introduced me, via email, to Mac Salman (with an ‘a’, not an ‘o’).

Mac Salman runs the No.1 Japanese Whisky YouTube channel, namely “Kanpai Planet”.

Originally from the city of Exeter, England, he moved to Tokyo, Japan almost 20 years ago where he proceeded to immerse himself in its culture and language. He became a tour guide there and began to organise special tours to Japan’s whisky distilleries where he developed a taste for the local product. He is now a noted writer and expert on all things “Japanese Whisky”, has a close working relationship with the finest and most influential Japanese distilleries and is closely associated with Tokyo’s famous specialist Whisky bar, “Aloha”.

Mac, is what the British would call, “a Gentleman and a Scholar”. We would call him simply a Mensch, メンシュ or 紳士, pronounced “Shinshi”

Mac proved to be almost the perfect person to ask my questions as it soon became clear from his videos and email conversations, that he takes a very technical, pragmatic approach to the subject, completely devoid of any “shtuyot”, pretentious marketing flannel, twaddle, claptrap, and codswallop. He is a passionate campaigner for more transparency, disclosure and government backed regulations in the industry. (More about this last point later).

Japanese Whisky Tradition and General Practices

To get a full understanding of the subject it’s worth reading this article on a short history of Japanese Whisky, see here:

https://dekanta.com/a-short-history-of-japanese-whisky/

 

Japanese Whisky Distilleries

There are currently (2022) 25 active Whisky distilleries in Japan, (up from nine in 2010).

Most whisky is produced in the top four largest distilleries on the islands, owned by the two biggest Japanese Spirits companies in Japan (by far), namely Nikka and Suntory, who incidentally, have been rivals and bitter enemies for over a 100 years.

Very much like the rest of the world who are also going through the biggest whisky boom since the late 19^th century, there is an explosion of smaller independently owned distilleries which are popping up all over Japan. They take the common route of opening up a touristy visitor’s centre, even before their own whisky is ready to bottle. However, by some magic it would seem, there is whisky available in their store with their name on the label. This phenomenon goes on in the United States as well with so called New York distilleries selling what we call in the trade, “sourced” whiskey. That is, they buy whiskey of similar style to what they are hoping to make, from a whiskey broker or large distillery from another state and relabel it as their own. This goes on in Japan as well, but in their case, the whisky is almost always sourced abroad, from America, Scotland, Canada and Ireland.

As I will explain below, it is important to emphasise that there is no legal requirement for them to disclose the source of the whisky on the label, nor any other information about the whisky.

Sherry Casks Used in The Japanese Whisky Industry

I started off by asking Mac Salman a question which I can honestly say I’ve never asked before when talking to someone about the Scottish Whisky industry.

Question: From your knowledge of Japanese ritual practices, do any of their religious ceremonies involve (grape based) wine? (I'm NOT talking about rice wine, just grape based drinks)?

Answer: Traditionally they do not

[My Comment: That's good to know!]

Next came the more typical Kashrus related questions regarding Sherry Cask usage in Japanese Spirits companies.

Question: To your knowledge, or have you actually witnessed distilleries directly pouring grape-based wine or the like, into empty casks, or casks containing maturing whisky or seasoning casks with wine before filling with new-make spirit or re-racking with whisky? If so, how common is this practice?

Answer: It is not common in Japan, but distilleries might season casks with wine in order to provide a finishing option. They would be more likely to have purchased such casks from overseas. I do not think anyone is adding wine to a cask with new make in it.

Question: By your estimates, what percentage of the casks used to mature Single Malt Japanese whisky where the previous contents of the casks was Wine/Sherry/Port or any other grape based drinks?

Answer: I would estimate about 30%. Your issue will be that often the full range of cask types is not disclosed on the bottle: that this is not disclosed on the bottles.

[My Comment: This is a very high figure compared to Scotland and shows that, despite the Sherry casks costing around 5-6 times that of Ex-Bourbon or other type casks, the Japanese have a distinct preference for sweet Sherry casks].

Photo Courtesy of The Whisky Exchange

[Mac continues:] For instance, one of the most widely available and affordable single malts in Japan. The Yamazaki Distiller's Reserve Single Malt. What exactly is in this bottle? [There is indeed nothing stated on the package]. As usual with a Suntory product, it’s a struggle to find out! The distillery says that they don’t add Caramel colour to their whisky. However, an official from Suntory wrote that they sometimes do add colour. There is no official statement as to what casks are used in this Whisky. However, a source at the distillery told me that it uses a percentage of Spanish Oak Sherry casks, American Oak Bourbon casks and Japanese Oak Mizunara casks. But then they add “components” aged in fresh Bordeaux Red Wine casks. These Red wine casks are the main difference between this and the rest of the Yamazaki core range.

[My Comment: In other words, there is nothing whatsoever indicating this is Fresh Ex-Wine cask matured, yet this is the dominant component].

Question: In general, would a Japanese distillery disclose the Cask types it uses for its bottlings? If a label or website states a particular cask maturation type for a release, how much can you rely on that information? For instance, if they say "Matured in Ex-Bourbon" or "Matured in Virgin Oak", how much can you trust that there are no other cask types involved, for instance, First Fill Sherry casks? Am I right in saying that there are NO regulations against NOT disclosing this information?

Answer: You are right. You do not need to disclose cask types, percentages etc. on bottles or even when asked. I am often told it is manufacturing info.  As you will see if you watch more of my videos, I spend an inordinate amount of time trying to find out as much info as possible.

Photo courtesy of dekanta.com

With this whisky for example: The Kanosuke 2022 Single Malt Cask Strength. No Cask type is stated on the label or website whatsoever. Some reviewers have stated that their sources claim that this is a 100% Sherry Cask matured Whisky. However, when I asked for an official response, I received the rather ambiguous reply in the form of the phrase "A number of barrel types with sherry as the key were used" - this implies that sherry would be the biggest percentage, but that is not the case at all! An inside source informed me that actually the majority of casks used were Re-charred American Oak casks.

[My Comment: It might well be that both sources are correct! In Scotland, the term “Re-Charred American Oak Cask” sometimes includes seasoning with sherry as part of the rejuvenation process. It could well be that these American Oak casks are in fact acting like fresh First-Fill Sherry casks but for a fifth of the price of real Spanish Sherry casks. Therefore, the Whisky could well be “a number of barrel types with sherry as the key” component].

Question: I asked you before, in your estimate, what percentage of casks used in the Japanese Whisky industry are Ex-Wine/Sherry and you answered around 30%.

Now, I’d like to ask you a slightly different question. What percentage of Japanese Single Malts bottled today DO NOT contain any Ex-Sherry/Ex-Wine casks in the maturation?

Would I be right in saying that that figure would be even lower than 30%? That almost all Japanese Single Malts contain at least a percentage of Ex-Sherry/Wine casks? Also, could you give an estimate of what percentage of these Sherry casks are First-Fil, Refill and Re-Seasoned casks?

Answer: That number is probably around 10%. In Japan they use both first fill and refill but which type is “most” is anybody’s guess. As always, a lack of disclosure is our enemy.

Regarding whether First-Fill or Refill, if we look at the “Nikka Sherry and Sweet” series that have quite an intense colour so I think they use 1st fills.

Photo courtesy of www.thewhiskyshop.com

They may well use 1st fill for exclusives and the 2nd fills and after for their blending components. The Big 2 also have no problem adding E150A.

As mentioned many times before, disclosure especially for the Big 2 in Japan is not given or even expected in Japan.

[My Comment: So, even though there is no information about cask types on the majority of Japanese Whisky labels, one must assume that there is at least some Sherry cask maturation in almost all Japanese whisky, unless it specifically states otherwise. This is certainly not the case in Scotland! Moreover, don’t expect to get much information out of the distilleries]

 

Japan’s New Whisky Regulations and how this affects Whisky Kashrus

I have heard the opinion made by some Rabbonim who work in Kashrus organisations that due to the fact that Japan has (or at least, will soon) establish strict Whisky regulations like they have in Scotland, Ireland and America, that we can now apply existing halachic leniencies based on assumptions we have for Scotch, Irish and American Whisk(e)y, to Japanese whisky now.

Is this true? Can you rely on information (or lack thereof) stated on the label or mentioned on the official website? Can you make the same assumptions for Japanese whisky as you can for Scotch? For instance, if there is no mention of Cask maturation type, can we assume that it’s not predominantly Ex-Sherry or Ex-Wine cask matured? Is there full disclosure, if an enquiry is made, as to the exact ingredients and the country of origin of the contents of that bottle of whisky?

Let’s present the facts.

No one who knows anything about the history of the Japanese Whisky world would argue that, before 2019, the Japanese whisky industry has been notorious for its (and I’m not going to beat about the bush here), frankly, totally misleading product descriptions. Every bottle of Whisky from the major Japanese spirits companies was a master class in marketing trickery skills and, of saying much and giving you no takles information.

Is the whisky in that beautifully decorated Lotus Blossom package actually Japanese?

Alcohol marked as Japanese whisky was not legally required to even contain any alcohol made from mashed grain at all, up until 1969. Instead, it was made of local rice mash or imported molasses from South and Central America.

As Mac Salman explains, Japanese whisky has become very fashionable over the past 30 years after a number of very successful marketing campaigns, winning some International Whisky Awards and being championed by some popular Whisky gurus.

Consequently, prices have shot through the roof and caused a shortage or total draught of whisky which is made in Japan. Due to the fact that there has been up until now, little to no government standards surrounding the industry, Whisky Spirits companies have solved the problem of a lack of stock by, shall we say, some very creative solutions.

The “Japanese whisky” is given some traditional Japanese name and the bottle and box are decorated in traditional Japanese artwork. Yet, there has been a total reluctance to divulge basic ingredients, whether the whisky was simply bottled in Japan but was in fact imported or “sourced” from a different country.

These very popular “Japanese” whiskies actually won World Whisky of the Year awards.

“Nikka Whisky from the Barrels” and “Coffey Malt Whisky”

Yet, it was exposed in British newspapers in the 1990s, that a good percentage of the contents of these “Japanese” whiskies is in fact sourced from distilleries in Scotland.

It should not escape your attention that Nikka owns the Ben Nevis distillery in Fort William, Scotland and Suntory owns Ardmore, Auchentoshan, Bowmore, Glen Garioch and Laphroaig Scottish distilleries. Tomatin distillery is owned by a consortium of Japanese companies and other Japanese companies have holdings in other distilleries. (We won’t even go into the American, Canadian and Irish distilleries that Japanese spirits companies own!).

Would it therefore surprise you to know that whisky is tankard into Japan in bulk from abroad? This whisky is then (in the best case), vatted with locally made whisky and sometimes is even bottled as is. Then it’s labelled as “Japanese Whisky” and re-exported. The only legal requirement for labelling it as “Japanese” is that the whisky must be bottled in Japan. Moreover, there is no legal requirement for any disclosure of this fact.

[Editor’s comment: So much for the headlines that Japanese Whisky is now superior to Scotch!]

from Mac's video “The end of fake Japanese whisky is here?”

The origins of the new Japanese Whisky Regulations

The advocacy group “The Japan Whisky Research Centre” has been pushing for more transparency and regulations in the Japanese industry for years, to bring the description of Japanese whisky in line with the reasonable expectations and assumptions of Whisky drinkers which they would have for Scotch Whisky or American Whiskey.

The new whisky regulations formulated by the “Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association” (or JSMLA), which were introduced in April 2021, should be the cause for great celebration, as, on the face of it, it would appear that it brings the Japanese Whisky in line with the Scotch Whisky and American Whiskey industry.

The regulations look similar to regulations by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA).

The Term Japanese Whisky is defined as:

• Raw ingredients must be limited to malted grains, other cereals grains and water, locally sourced.
• Malted grain must be used in the production of Whisky.
• Fermentation and distillation must be carried out in Japan. Alcohol must not exceed 95% abv.
• The Whisky must have been Aged in Wooden casks not exceeding 700 L and matured in Japan for a minimum of 3 years.
• Bottling must take place in Japan with a minimum abv of 40%. Only Caramel additive is allowed.

See "Legal Regulations" document:

http://www.yoshu.or.jp/statistics_legal/legal/pdf/independence_07.pdf

See also

https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2021/02/japan-whisky-issued-with-new-labelling-rules/

https://drinksint.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/9475/Japan_s_new_whisky_regulations:_What_do_they_mean_.html#:~:text=The%20Japan%20Spirits%20%26%20Liqueurs%20Makers,at%20a%20minimum%2040%25%20abv.

General Comments:

Any Wood can be used

It is interesting that the regulations allow any type of wooden cask whereas the Scotch Whisky Industry limits the wood to a member of the Oak family. This would allow for more exotic native Japanese wood.

Three Years and Not Two Years

One of the major differences between the Scotch and American definitions of whisk(e)y is that Scotch can only be called whisky if matured in Oak for a minimum of 3 years. American Straight Whiskey on the other hand, only needs maturation for 2 years. (To be more precise, according to Title 27 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, using the term "Whiskey", requires no minimum maturation age whatsoever. The minimum 2 year requirement only applies if you wish to use the term "Straight Whiskey").

The Japan Whisky Research Centre as well as many of the smaller distilleries have complained about this stipulation because, unlike Scotland, Japan has a warm climate and experiences faster maturation than in the much colder Scottish climate, arguably justifying two years, like the Americans.

Koji cannot be used in the production of Japanese Whisky according to the new rules.

Another interesting section is the fact that the rules insist on the use of Malted barley in the saccharification (malted and mashed) process. This process may be standard practice both in Scotland and America but, in Japan, there is another type of saccharifier which does the exact same job and has traditionally been used for Japanese alcoholic drinks like Sake and Beer for generations. This is called Koji and is made from rice and soya fungus mold.

www.midosmiso.com/what-is-koji

There are currently quite a few Japanese whiskies wholly produced in Japan, which under the new regulations, will no longer qualify for using the term “Japanese Whisky” due to the use of koji, instead of malted barley. This has caused a lot of uproar from more traditional spirits producers in Japan who wish to make Japanese Whisky a more culturally Japanese product and not just a knock off copy of Scotch, which many of the big players in the industry are intent on doing.

I asked a good friend of mine, a Mashgiach who works in Japan and an expert in Japanese food products and he told me that in general, there are no kashrus problems with Koji, which he explained, is widely used in many Japanese products.

Rice based Whisky can no longer be called Whisky

The regulations also prohibit any Japanese made whisky which is distilled from rice (the staple ingredients of the Japanese diet) mash instead of barley or other grains from calling itself “Whisky”. Ironically, Rice distilled Whisky would comply with US regulations for the definition of Whisky, and again, many would argue that the use of rice rather than imported grain, produces a more culturally “Japanese” product.

So, in general, these new regulations look very promising. However, please note that although all new products are expected to abide by the regulations, the rules stipulate that all currently existing products have until April 2024 to comply with the new regulations.

Even so, it is surely a huge step in the right direction. Right?

Well, here’s when we start to see some major red flags!

Who are the “Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association” (or JSMLA)?

Well, contrary to what many think, they are not the same organisation as the “The Japan Whisky Research Centre”, a completely independent group. The JSMLA are in fact a trade union of the major Japanese Whisky producers, namely Nikka, Santory, Kirin, Mars and Hibiki. It is, however, important to note that most of the independent Whisky distilleries, who produce genuine Japanese whisky, are not members of this trade union, nor were they asked to join. In other words, the actual regulations were crafted by those very companies who are the major importers of bulk whisky from abroad.

That means that all the other distilleries who are not members, can carry on with impunity, In other words, the so-called regulations would obviously only apply to those who are signed up members.

Photo courtesy of vhsfletchers.co.uk

What makes things even more dodgy is the fact that there are major members of this trade union, who also own smaller distilleries which appear to run independently and therefore not subject to these regulations. This allows these companies a “Get out of Jail Free Card” if they wished to produce a product which does not comply with the regulations.

Will the Regulations Still Allow Foreign made whisky to be labelled as Japanese Whisky?

Well, the short answer is, yes! Afterall, it’s still whisky, just not Japanese whisky! The Guidelines stipulate that “somewhere”, there should be some kind of disclosure that this product is not in fact Japanese whisky. There are products out on the market now which are categorised as Japanese Whisky on the shelves in London and New York, but use a substantial amount of foreign whisky in the vatting. The Japanese labels might state that these are “World Whisky” and not specifically refer to them as “Japanese Whisky” but with all the Japanese cultural references and traditional name and writing on the packaging, one would be forgiven for not understanding this point. Other whisky produces say that it’s good enough to mention the fact that not all the whisky was made in Japan, on their website. Others interpret the regulations to mean that they would only have to mention it if directly asked the question in an enquiry to the company. Clearly there a bit of tightening up of the regulations still to do.

A Japanese crafted blend of Irish, Scotch, American, Canadian and Japanese whiskies (Photo Courtesy of albertwines2u.com)

New York Times Headline from May 29 2020

Do the Regulations have Government Legal Backing and are there penalties for breaking the rules?

Again, the short answer is no! As of the date of writing this, not yet at least. The Japanese Tax ministry is talking about incorporating these trade union regulations into new government legislation, but until this happens, the so-called rules are voluntary agreements by trade union members, with no legal backing and most importantly, there are no consequences and no penalties imposed for breaking these regulations.

Conclusions reached on these Regulations

Can one rely on these Regulations in a similar way to the SWA?

The answer is a resounding No!

1. That there is a substantial percentage of the Japanese whisky industry which are not even signed up to these regulations.

2. That the regulations are not enforced by law and there are no penalties for failure to comply or being caught pretending to comply or trying to circumvent the regulations.

3. Even with these regulations, there is no enforcement for transparency on the label for country of origin of the whisky in the bottle. This was one of the major incentives for setting up these regulations in the first place! Being that, a lot of the whisky marked as "Japanese" was in fact wholly or partially sourced in Scotland, Ireland or North America.

As Mac says, “it's a long winding road” but in some sense, at least in the short term, in my opinion, the introduction of these non-enforceable and weak regulations are causing more damage than good. At least before, one knew that it was a complete free for all and you just accepted that you really had no idea what you were drinking or where it came from. Now, you are being lulled into a false sense of security, thinking that there are now regulations to enforce standards whereas the reality is that there are not. It's simply a new facade of respectability.

I sent my comment to Mac for his opinion. I asked him if he thought that my conclusions were too harsh of an interpretation?

He answered

“It is harsh, but fair! As you saw in my update video on regulations, the big producers expect consumers to take personal responsibility. However, the media - both professional and amateur - has often reported these guidelines/standards as "laws" or regulations, leading to a lot of misunderstandings and false assumptions”. 

 

A Total lack of Transparency and Disclosure

If you watch Mac Salman’s videos, you soon pick up on his major complaint regarding the Japanese Whisky Industry. That is a total lack of transparency on the packages and an unwillingness for disclosure of information of their product, even if asked.

From my 30 something years of experience of traveling to Scotland and talking to representatives of the Scottish Whisky industry, both distillery workers and company directors, I have found them to be very open and chatty. With few exceptions, when I write to the companies for Cask maturation types for their products, they are usually very forthcoming.

The Scots are more than willing and very much enjoy talking about the most tiny and geeky details of how they go about producing Whisky. You can see the pride they have for their national drink. Furthermore, if they are unhappy with the product they are making or with the parent company, they will not be shy about expressing their opinion.

As luck would have it, I happen to have had a friend and neighbour, who is a Kashrus Mashgiach and expert in Japanese food and drinks, who was in Japan on a work trip at the very time I was researching this issue.

I asked my friend if, in his experience as a Kashrus Mashgiach, when requesting relevant product information like exact and detailed ingredients, whether the Japanese (in general) are willing to volunteer and disclose pertinent information?

My Mashgiach Kashrus friend replied:

Culturally, the Japanese can be a very reserved, extremely private people. They are usually tight-lipped, secretive and perhaps slightly paranoid about questions you ask. Especially when it comes to divulgence of industrial or technical information. They sometimes refuse to give us information we already know!

“Getting Information from the Japanese is [sometimes] like trying to extract teeth.”

I realise this last section is not very scientific to say the least and only my personal impression of the Scots and Japanese. Nevertheless, it’s interesting that Mac and my Mashgiach friend share the same frustration when it comes to Japanese product disclosure.

The Bottom Line:

As already stated, even though there is in general, no information about cask types on the majority of Japanese Whisky labels, one must assume that there is at least some Sherry cask maturation in almost all Japanese whisky, unless it specifically states otherwise. This is certainly not the case in Scotland! Moreover, don’t expect to get much information out of the distilleries, if you try to inquire.

So, to answer the Rabbi’s question, whether in my opinion an observant Jew could drink Japanese Single Malt Whisky without Kosher Certification and rely on the same hehterim as Scotch Whisky:

The answer, from my research so far is, I would personally take a more machmir approach than the official AKO position and not drink any Japanese Single Malt Whisky unless it specifically states that it was exclusively matured in Virgin or Ex-Bourbon casks ,

Again, I am not a Posek and this is not a psak Halacha. It’s my own personal opinion.

As always in the world of Kashrus, I believe that there is the need to have current and correct information. As a so called authority in the subject of Whisky, I feel it is my obligation to bring that information to the Poskim, and those who are interested in the issues involved.

--------------------------------------------------

Sources Used:

See the following Kanpei Planet videos:

The End of Fake Japanese Whisky is here, but does it matter?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMaqaWcwsaM&t=1s&ab_channel=KanpaiPlanet

What is Japanese Whisky?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=719z5EKzNsE&ab_channel=KanpaiPlanet

Japan's New Whisky Standards: 6 Months On

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMljCqusrSs&ab_channel=KanpaiPlanet

Malt Whisky Yearbook articles on Japanese Whisky and annual list of distilleries.

https://dekanta.com/a-short-history-of-japanese-whisky/

 

Appendix

Japanese Distilleries by Owner

Suntory

Yamazaki, 1923

Hakushu, 1973.

 

Nikka

Yoichi, 1934

Miyagikyo (formerly Sendai), 1969

 

Hombo Shuzo Co., Ltd

Mars Shinshu, 1985

Mars Tsunuki, 2016

 

Kirin Brewery

Mount Fuji or “Fuji Gotemba”, 1973

Ichiro Akuto

Chichibu 1, 2007

Chichibu 2, 2019

 

Kenten Co. Ltd

Akkeshi, 2015

Sasanokawa Shuzo Ltd

Asaka, 2015

Akashi Hyogo

Eigashima, 1984

Saitama Konosu

Hikari, 2020