“Kirin Single Blended Japanese whisky Fuji” will be available from the Fuji Gotemba Distillery of Kirin Brewery Company, Limited for a full year (approximately 4,700 cases shipped in the first year) from June 7, 2022, and from “Kirin Single Blended Japanese whisky Fuji 2022Masterpiece” will be available in a limited quantity of approximately 1,000 bottles at the Kirin online store DRINX from April 19, 2022.
As part of its business policy for 2022, Kirin plans a major renewal of “Riku” and export of “Fuji” to China and Australia. We plan to develop the brand even more strongly.
1. Kirin Single Blended Japanese whisky Fuji
Image Exhibit: PR TIMES
Fuji Gotemba Distillery produces malt and grain in the same distillery, a new style of product that is unique in the world. All of the original malts and grains are made using the same Fuji subterranean water, the same brewers, and the same natural environment.
Reference: PR TIMES
| Product name | Kirin Single Blended Japanese Whisky Fuji |
|---|---|
| Release date | June 7, 2022 |
| Alcoholic Beverage | Single blended Japanese whisky |
| Ingredients | Malt, Grain |
| How to purchase | Restaurants and mass merchandisers nationwide, Kirin Online Shop DRINX |
| Sales volume | Approx. 4,700 cases (for shipment in 2022) |
| Number of units | 43% |
| Content Volume | 700ml |
| Price | 6,600 yen (tax included) |
| Manufacturer | Kirin Distillery Fuji Gotemba Distillery |
2. Kirin Single Blended Japanese whisky Fuji 2022 Masterpiece
Image Exhibit: PR TIMES
This is a superb blend of rare, precious, and long-aged original sake that concentrates the characteristics of the Fuji Gotemba Distillery. The flavor is multi-layered with ripe fruit aroma, custard richness, floral, spicy, and other colorful aromas.
Reference: PR TIMES
| Product Name | Kirin Single Blended Japanese whisky Fuji 2022 Masterpiece |
|---|---|
| Release Date |
March 1, 2022 (Fuji Gotemba Distillery retailers) April 19, 2022 (Kirin Online Shop DRINX) |
| By Sake | Single blended Japanese whisky |
| Ingredients | Malt, Grain |
| How to purchase | Fuji Gotemba Distillery sales outlets, Kirin Online Shop DRINX |
| Sales quantity | Limited to approx. 1,000 bottles |
| Strength | 50% |
| Content Volume | 700ml |
| Price | 54,780 yen (tax included) |
| Manufacturer | Kirin Distillery Fuji Gotemba Distillery |
3. About Fuji Gotemba Distillery
Fuji Gotemba Distillery
| Location | 970 Shibafuda, Gotemba City, Shizuoka Prefecture, 412-0003, Japan |
| Start of operation | November 1973 |
Aug. 1972 Kirin-Seagram Company established as a joint venture between Kirin Brewery Company (Japan), JE Seagram Company (U.S., at the time), and Sievers Brothers (U.K.).
November 1973 Fuji Gotemba Distillery completed and production begins
February 1974 Domestic whisky “Robert Brown” released
July 2002 Company name changed to Kirin Distillery Company, Limited (became a wholly owned subsidiary of Kirin Brewery Company, Limited)
September 2005 Domestic whisky “Kirin whisky Fuji-Sanroku Barrel Aged 50°” and “Kirin whisky Fuji-Sanroku Single Malt 18 Years” are released
March 2016 Kirin whisky Fuji-Sanroku Blended 18 Years; Kirin whisky Fuji-Sanroku Barrel-Aged Original Sake 50° released
August 2018 Fuji Sanroku Signature Blend is released.
April 2020: Kirin Single Grain whisky Fuji
released
Fuji Gotemba Distillery, located at the foot of Mt. Fuji, is one of the few whisky distilleries in the world to handle the entire process from preparation to bottling of malt and grain whiskies.
The distillery produces a wide variety of Kirin Group products, including whisky, mineral water, and canned chuhai, in a natural environment blessed with abundant subterranean water from Fuji, a cool climate, and frequent fog throughout the year.
In February 2019, the company invested approximately 8 billion yen to expand its production facilities in preparation for further future increases in whisky sales volume.
In order to produce a wide variety of malt whisky base whisky, four new small fermentation tanks and two lines of four distillers were installed to approximately double the base whisky production capacity, and the barrel storage capacity was increased by approximately 20% through renewal and enlargement of the barrel aging warehouse. The company aims to establish a production system that will ensure a stable supply of high quality whisky in the future. Operation is scheduled to start in June 2021.
Reference: Kirin Distillery Company Limited official website
See also ↓ for information on Fuji Gotemba Distillery.
4. “Riku” renewal
As mentioned above, Fuji Gotemba Distillery’s middle standard “Riku” will undergo a major renewal.
The taste has been enhanced by revising the blend ratio, mainly using a wide variety of original sake from the Fuji Gotemba distillery.
In terms of the package, the logo has been enlarged to enhance identification to address issues such as “difficulty in recognizing the product on the sales floor” and “design that is too modern and not whisky-like”. The use of a gold band to emphasize the quality of the product and its whisky-like character helped to overcome these issues.
In addition, sampling will be conducted for 500,000 people, and a TV commercial will be introduced for the first time in 17 years
for a domestically produced whisky.
The sales plan for 2022 for the Riku brand is 1.9 billion yen, a 147% increase over the previous year.
↓”Land” old design ↓”Riku” new design
image exhibit: left Kirin whisky HP image exhibit: right Gourmet Watch[ /caption]
5. “Fuji” brand development
Fuji Gotemba Distillery’s flagship brand, Fuji.
Kirin Single Grain Japanese whisky Fuji” was launched in the United States in September 2021, and will be launched in China and Australia in April 2022. Armed with the straightforward and uniquely Japanese name “Fuji” we aim to further increase awareness of the product on a global scale.
With the launch of the two new “Fuji” products mentioned above, in addition to overseas expansion, we are targeting a 202% year-on-year increase in sales for 2022, to 1.2 billion yen. 
Image Exhibit: PR TIMES
Lastly: Recommended Books on Japanese Whisky
If you want to learn more about Japanese whisky, which is a global trend, we highly recommend these books.
(1).Whisky Galore Vol.29 December 2021 issue
In the December 2021 issue of Whisky Galore, published by the Whisky Culture Research Institute, we report on 11 Japanese craft distilleries, including some that are open to the public for the first time, under the title of “Japanese Whisky Craft Frontline,” the first of three consecutive issues. Why did the popularity of Japanese whisky and the craft boom occur? We will examine with interviews. Chichibu Distillery / Chichibu No.2 Distillery / Mars Shinshu Distillery / Mars Tsunuki Distillery / Kanosuke Distillery / Hioki Distillery / Ontake Distillery / Osuzuyama Distillery / Kaikyo Distillery / Hanyu Distillery / Konosu Distillery
(2). Japanese Whisky as an Education for Business
This is a book written by Mamoru Tsuchiya, a world-famous whisky critic and representative of the Whisky Culture Research Institute, titled “Japanese Whisky as a Culture that Works for Business” .
The book covers the basics of whisky, the introduction of whisky to Japan, the birth of Japanese whisky, advertising strategies and the rise of Japanese whisky, and the current rise of craft distilleries. This is a book that summarizes Japanese whisky in a very easy to understand way.
(3). Whisky and I (Masataka Taketsuru)
Masataka Taketsuru, the founder of Nikka Whisky, devoted his life to brewing whisky in Japan. This is a revised and reprinted version of the autobiography of a man who simply loved whisky and talked about himself. The book vividly depicts the days when he went to Scotland alone to study as a young man and overcame many hardships to complete Japanese whisky, as well as his companion, Rita.
(4). A Letter of Challenge from a New Generation Distillery
Launching in 2019. With the world experiencing an unprecedented whisky boom, what were the managers of craft distilleries thinking and what were their thoughts as they took on the challenge of making whisky? This book tells the stories of 13 craft distillery owners, including Ichiro Hido of Venture Whisky, famous for his Ichirose Malt, who inspired the birth of craft distilleries in Japan.
(5). Whiskey Rising
This is the Japanese version of Whisky Risng, published in the US in 2016, with much updated content. Not only does it describe the history of Japanese whisky in detail, but it also includes data on all the distilleries in Japan, including the craft distilleries that have been founded in recent years. The book also includes descriptions of the legendary bottles that have been released, as well as information on bars where Japanese whisky can be found.
