Suntory Holdings Ltd. announces countermeasures against counterfeit bottle sales found on secondary sales and purchase sites. This is an initiative to protect the brands of products distributed in the market.
Recently, counterfeit bottles of Yamazaki 12year have become a hot topic. It appears that some unscrupulous companies are manufacturing fake bottles on auction sites and flea market applications, and selling completely different products with completely different contents.
As a countermeasure, Suntory seems to be taking steps to prevent this by attaching two types of hologram stickers that are difficult to duplicate or reattach.
Suntory Ltd. has been working to improve the quality of its middle distilled whiskey, enhance its production facilities, and make it more environmentally friendly in order to further enhance the brand value of Suntory Whiskey.
By affixing two types of hologram seals, which are difficult to duplicate or reapply, to certain domestic premium whiskies, Suntory will strengthen its efforts to protect the brand of its products in the market.
Suntory will continue to take on the challenge of “pursuing delicious quality” and “evolving the customer experience” in order to create the world’s highest standard of whiskey.
Reference: Suntory’s official website
About hologram stickers
Feature: Special processing that is difficult to duplicate or reapply
Attachment points: Two points in total on the opening and the back of the bottle
(Due to the sequential changeover of shipments, there are products in the market that do not have two hologram stickers attached.
Date of implementation
From products manufactured in March 2024
Target products (10 products from 3 brands)
Suntory Whisky HIBIKI brand
Ditto Hibiki 30 years old, Ditto Hibiki 21 years old, Ditto Hibiki BLENDER’S CHOICE, and Ditto Hibiki JAPANESE HARMONY
Suntory Single Malt Whisky Yamazaki brand
Yamazaki 25 years old, Yamazaki 18 years old, Yamazaki 12 years old
Suntory Single Malt Whisky Hakushu Brand
Hakushu 25years, Hakushu 18years, Hakushu 12years
In the same way, the official Suntory homepage has also been updated with the following information
Beware of Suspicious Sales Websites Deceiving Suntory
The company is also seen to be taking resolute action to deal with the situation.
It seems that there are cases of such sites being advertised from social networking services, and we are issuing a warning in conjunction with that as well.
Whiskey lovers should also be aware of these malicious sites.
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.
