Fuji Gotemba Distillery is located at the foot of the World Heritage Site Mt.
Fuji Gotemba Distillery is one of the few distilleries in the world where malt whiskey and grain whiskey are produced in an integrated process from preparation to bottling.
1.Outline of Fuji Gotemba Distillery
Kirin-Seagram, a joint venture between Kirin Brewery, JE Seagram, and Seabass Brothers, was established in 1972.
Fuji Gotemba Distillery was established in November of the following year.
The distillery is a fusion of Kirin, Seagram’s, and Seabass’ respective technologies.
The distillery is characterized by the use of Fuji’s subterranean water and the production of whisky with the motto “clean and elegant” to suit the Japanese palate.
Fuji terroir, and will start using barley produced in Gotemba from 2023.
We will aim for “pure Gotemba-grown.
From 2021, production capacity will be strengthened and wooden vats will be added to the existing stainless steel fermentation tanks.
Six distillation vessels are now in operation, with four smaller vessels added.
The facility is also equipped with four multi-column columns for the production of grain whiskey, beer columns used in bourbon production, and doublers and kettles for a wide variety of base whiskey production.
In 2023, the company announced a partnership with Pernod Ricard, a world-renowned French winemaker, and appears to be working to expand its sales channels to the global market.
2.Basic Information
2-1. Owner
Kirin Distillery (Kirin Holdings Company, Limited)
2-2. Location
Gotemba, Shizuoka 412-0003, Japan
970 Shibafuda, Gotemba, Shizuoka, Japan
2-3. Access
Bus】 【Bus
Free shuttle bus service from JR Gotemba Station
Go out the ticket gate of Gotemba Station and proceed to the Hakone Otome Exit on the right side.
Car】 【Car
Exit at the Gotemba I.C. of the Tomei Expressway in the direction of Lake Yamanaka, and go straight on Route 138 (about 7 km).
Get off at “Mizudono Exit” and turn right at the Mizudono East intersection.
Turn left with the pot still on the left.
2-4. Start of operation
1972 (Showa 47)
2-5. Main Products
Clean & Estrous”, which has been our motto since our founding, has been embodied since our first release.
It is a whiskey that is truly suited to the Japanese palate.
The delicate taste that matches every situation, such as climate and food culture, is a bottle where the skills of Jota Tanaka, who was awarded the “Hall of Fame” by Whiskey Magazine, the highest title of a blender, shine through.
ISC2020 (International Spirits Challenge) Gold Medal
ISC2021 Gold Medal
ISC2022 Gold Medal
TWSC2022 (Tokyo Whiskey & Spirits Competition) Silver Award
Other newly released pure Japanese whiskies bearing the Japanese name from Fuji Gotemba Distillery include.
Although the Japanese whiskey industry will continue to revise its prices in order to make them more reasonable by global standards, you can purchase a Japanese single malt for around 6,000 yen.
Furthermore, it is expected to expand its sales channels to the global market through a partnership with “Pernod Ricard”, so you should definitely try this bottle before you can no longer afford it.
3.Tours and Visitor Centers
Weekdays 10:30 – 14:10 Weekends and holidays 9:30 – 14:10
Fee 500 yen
Approx. 80 min (60 min factory tour, 20 min tasting)
Click here for reservation form
3-1. Gourmet Information in the Surrounding Area
Fuji is a great place to visit.
Fuji, there are plenty of leisure facilities, gourmet food, lodging, and sightseeing nearby.
On the way home, you can go shopping at the Gotemba Premium Outlets.
3-2. Sightseeing Lodging
4.Manufacturing specs
About 620m above sea level, average annual temperature 13℃, average humidity 80%, cool climate, fog occurs many times throughout the year.
In addition to malt whiskey and grain whiskey, the company also produces chuhai, mineral water, and other products.
The raw materials are 9.6 tons of corn and 0.5 tons of malted barley.
The brewing water is from three wells located within the distillery and is sourced from Mt.
Fuji Gotemba Distillery’s greatest feature is its ability to produce three different types of grain whiskey.
In addition to the multi-column distiller, which is considered to be the most common type, the distillery operates kettle and doubler distillers, which have different characteristics, and are quite rare in the world. The Doubler distiller, developed by the Sealing Company, is the standard for bourbon production and produces a heavy type of raw spirit.
| Production volume | 12 million liters (malt and grain combined) *Data 2008 |
| Brewing water | Fuji (hardness: approx. 55°C) |
| Ingredients | Corn & barley malt & rye (from Canada) |
| Brewing quantity | 5.7 tons (malt) |
| Malt mill | Swiss Bühler roller mill |
| Saccharification tank | Stainless steel semi-rotary tin (45,000 liters) made by Miyake Seisakusho |
| Wort volume | Approx. 30,000 liters |
| Fermentation tanks | 8 stainless steel fermenters manufactured by Tohoku Ohe Kogyo (6 for malt whiskey) 4 wooden Douglas fir vessels |
| Pot still | First distillation 2 units of straight type (4000 liters) made by Miyake Seisakusho 1 lantern type (28,000 liters) manufactured by Miyake Seisakusho Redistillation One Miyake-made straight type (3,200 liters) 1 lantern type (3200 liters) manufactured by Miyake Seisakusho One Miyake-made bulge type (17,000 liters) |
| Others | Four multi-column continuous distillation units for grain whiskey 1 column of beer columns (26 shelves of sieve trays) 1 kettle (60262 liters batch-type single distillation unit) 1 doubler (11230 liters) |
| Cooling system | Shell and tube |
| Bottling facilities | Yes |
| Aging room | Yes |
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5.Maturing Environment
There are four huge high-rise rack-type aging rooms, each capable of storing more than 30,000 barrels, and one dunnage-type room, with a total storage capacity of approximately 130,000 barrels.
One of the main features of the barrels was that the wine was barrel-aged at 50.5% alcohol by volume in order to promote gentle aging, rather than the usual 63% alcohol by volume.
In recent years, however, it has been barrel-entered at other percentages for the purpose of increasing variation.
The main barrels used are 180-liter American white oak bourbon barrels.
6.Distillery Story
6-1. History
| Year: 1972 1972 (Showa 47) | Kirin-Seagram Company established as a joint venture between Kirin Brewery, JE Seagram of the U.S., and Sievers Brothers of the U.K. |
|---|---|
| 1973 (The year of the founding of Kirin Seagram Company, Ltd. (1973) | Kirin Seagram Gotemba Plant completed and production started. |
| 1974 (Showa 49) | Robert Brown” released |
| 1975 (The year 1975) (1975) | Launched “Dunbar |
| 1979 (year of the first commercial launch of “Dunbar”) (1979) | Launched “Emblem |
| 1981 (the year of the first “Emblem”) (1981) | Released “Crescent |
| 1983 (the year of the first release of “Crescent”) (1983) | NEWS” was released |
| 1984 (1984) | Saturday 1″ and “Saturday 2” were released |
| 1985 (Showa 59) 1985 (Showa 60) | Released “Robert Brown JR. |
| 1986 (the year of 1986) (1986) | Boston Club” is released. |
| 1989 (year of release) (1989) | Launched “Tendilleries |
| 1992 (Heisei first year) (1992) | Hips” was released. |
| 1993 (1993) | Fuji Gotemba Pure Malt” was put on sale. |
| 1994 “Fuji Gotemba Pure Malt” was released. (1994) | Rice Whisky” was released. |
| 1998 “Rice Whisky” was released. (1998) | Released “Camp |
| 1999 (Heisei 10) 1999 (Heisei 11) | Released “Evermore 1999”, “Boston Crab Light-bodied Genshu” and “Boston Crab Full-bodied Genshu”. |
| 2002 (Heisei 11) 2002 (Heisei 14) | Became a subsidiary of Kirin Brewery and changed the company name from Kirin Seagrams to Kirin Distillery. Kirin Seagram 30th Anniversary” released. |
| 2004 (Japanese only) 2004 (Heisei 16) | The Fuji Gotemba Single Malt 18 years old” and “The Fuji Gotemba Single Grain 15 years old” were released. |
| 2005 (Heisei 16) 2005 (Heisei 17) | Release of “Kirin Whisky Fuji-Sanroku”, “Fuji-Sanroku Barrel Aged 50°” and “Fuji-Sanroku Single Malt 18years”. |
| 2007 (Heisei 17) 2007 (Heisei 19) | Released “Single Cask Fuji Gotemba 10years” and “Kaorufu”. |
| 2011 (Heisei 19) 2011 (Heisei 23) | Released “Ocean Lucky Gold |
| 2013 (Heisei 24th year) 2013 (Heisei 25) | Fuji Gotemba Single Grain 27years Single Cask” and “40th Anniversary” were released Renewal of the Visitor Center |
| 2014 (the year of the renovation) 2014 (Heisei 26) | Fuji Gotemba Blender’s Choice Single Malt” and “Fuji Gotemba Single Grain” released |
| 2015 (Heisei 26) 2015 (Heisei 27) | Release of “Fuji Gotemba Single Malt 17 years old” and “Fuji Gotemba Single Grain 25 years old”. |
| 2016 (Heisei 27) 2016 (Heisei 28) | Release of “Oak Master Barrel Scent,” “Fuji Gotemba Barrel Aged Original 50°,” “Fuji Gotemba Blended 18 Years,” and “Fuji Gotemba Distillers Select (single malt, single grain) |
| 2018 (Heisei 30) | Release of “Fuji-Sanroku Signature Blend” and “White Horse Highball” cans |
| 2019 (Heisei 30) (2028) | Start of expansion of production facilities Launch of “Oak Master Morinokaze Kaoru” and renewal of “Oak Master Barrel Kaoru |
| 2020 (the year of the 20th year of the 20th year of the 21st year of the 20th century) 2020 (2020) | Release of “Kirin Single Grain Fuji”, “Kirin 30 Years” and “Kirin Riku”. |
| 2021 (the 2nd year of the 20th year of the 20th year of the 21st year of the 20th year) (2021) | Fermentation tanks and 4 pot stills are added (Of the old distillation kettles, one each for first distillation and second distillation are taken out of service). Expansion of the aging warehouse |
| 2022 2022 (2022) | Kirin Single Blended Japanese Whiskey Fuji Fuji 2022 Masterpiece” is released. Kirin Whiskey Riku” is relaunched. Launched Kirin Single Grain Japanese Whiskey Fuji Launched in China and Australia English name of distillery changed to “Mt. Fuji Distillery |
| 2023 2023 (2023) | Kirin Single Malt Japanese Whiskey Fuji is released The 50th anniversary of the distillery “Kirin 50th Anniversary Edition” is released in a limited edition of 3,000 bottles Gotemba Premium Outlets store opens for a limited time. Limited release of 3,000 bottles of “Single Blended Japanese Whiskey Fuji 50th Anniversary Edition |
6-2. Past blenders
Master Blender Jota Tanaka
Joined Kirin Brewery in 1988
After stationed at a winery in Napa Valley in 1989, completed a master’s degree at the University of California, Davis.
Returned to Japan in 1995 and was in charge of wine product development.
Later, he was involved in product development at the Fuji Gotemba Plant and as a brand manager of imported wines in the Marketing Department at the head office.
In 2002, he transferred to Fore-Roses, which was acquired by Kirin Brewery Company.
He was involved in bourbon production and overall product development at the Fore-Roses distillery in Kentucky.
Returned to Japan in 2009 and worked as a blender at the Kirin Beer Product Development Laboratory.
In 2010, he was appointed chief blender.
Appointed Master Blender in 2017.
In the same year, awarded Master Blender of the Year at the Icons of Whisky 2017, an international award in the whisky industry (World’s Best Award).
Awarded HALLofFAME by Whisky Magazine.
Both of these awards are the best in the world, and he is now counted as one of the world’s leading Master Blenders in both name and reality.
In 2019, in recognition of his accomplishments in the U.S. bourbon industry, he was the only Japanese to be welcomed as a founding member of The Order of the Writ, a membership organization of the Kentucky Bourbon Association.
Image credit: Fuji Gotemba Distillery official website
.
Chief Blender Koji Onoda
Image credit: Fuji Gotemba Distillery official website
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Blender Genki Takeshige
Image credit: Gotemba Distillery official website
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In 2006, he joined Kirin Brewery Company, Limited.
Mainly engaged in technical development of shochu until 2009.
Since 2010, he has been active in the Product Development Laboratory, focusing on the development of new RTD (Ready to Drink) products.
In 2018, he became the blender of Fuji Gotemba Distillery.
He is in charge of development focusing on “Riku” and “Fuji”.
7.List of other distilleries
