Japanese Whisky History

Question 1

How many active distilleries were there in Japan in 2000?

Answer 1

7 - and most of them distilled only a couple of days per week.

Question 2

How many active distilleries were there in Japan in 2006? 2022? 2024? Now?

Answer 2

2000 = 7
2006 = 14 (Chichibu 2007)
2022 = 41
2024 = over 110
2005 = over 140

Question 3

Important dates in Japanese Whisky history (1800s)

Answer 3

1853 - Commodore Matthew Perry enters black bay with ships carrying whisky and demands to trade
1854 - Perry returns with more whisky (better luck this time)

Question 4

Important dates in Japanese Whisky history (1900 - 1934)

Answer 4

1901 - Law on taxation of liquor and beverages containing alcohol
1902 - Column stills imported for commercial use
1907 - Akadama sweet wine launched with big success
1923 - Yamazaki distillery opens
1934 - Dai Nippon Raju established (Nikka) - setting up Yoichi distillery

Question 5

Important dates in Japanese Whisky history (1940 - early 1990’s)

Answer 5

1940 - Liquor tax stipulates grades of spirits based on ABV+ authentic product, introduces 3-year age requirement
1988 - Tax and classification reform on December 24 benefits Scotch Whisky, imports rise
Early 1990’s - Sochu dominates

Question 6

Key Figures in early Japanese Whisky history -Shinjiro Tori

Answer 6

Shinjiro Torii - lead Kotobukiya, developed Shirofunda white label (failure), later successful with Kakubin in 1937. Founder of Suntory.

Question 7

Key Figures in early Japanese Whisky history - Masataka Taketsuru

Answer 7

Masataka Taketsuru - Studied chemistry in Glasgow, became infatuated with Scotch, worked at Longmorn, Hazelburn, and Bo-Ness in Scotland (documented everything), married Rita Cowan and moved back to Japan. Played pivotal role in starting Yamazaki with Torii before leaving to found Nikka.

Question 8

Who was Keizo Saji?

Answer 8

-Distiller at Suntory in early 1960s that emphaized a more scientific approach

Question 9

What was the first whisky launched by Shinjiro Torii and Masataka Taketsuru? Was it a success?

Answer 9

Shirofuda White Label was launched in Apirl 1929 and was a failure

Question 10

Timeline of Masataka Taketsuru in Scotland

Answer 10

End of 1918 - travels to Scotland, visits Longmorn as a 5-day apprentice

1919 - works at Bo’ness distllery (Coffee still) marries Rita Cowan

1920 - works at Hazelburn distillery in Campbeltown

1922 - back in Japan, resigns from job and works with Torii to set up Yamazaki

Question 11

Timeline of Masataka Taketsuru in Japan

Answer 11

1922 - back in Japan, resigns from job and works with Torii to set up Yamazaki

1923 - Yamazaki opens

August 1929 - launch of Shirofuda

June 8, 1934 - meets with investors for his own drinks company Dai Nippon Raju (which becomes Nikka)

Question 12

Cultural Shifts in Japan affecting whisky

Answer 12

1965 - Mizu-wari (whiskey and ice water) gains poplularity, along with bottle-keeping culture
1980’s - rise of Sochu, with clear spirits trend in US
1984 - First single malt release = Yamazaki
1986 - Yamazaki 12 release
late 80’s - emphasis on lightness
Early 1990’s - Sochu taxes remain much lower than whisky

Question 13

When was the first Japanese Liquor tax levied?

Answer 13

1940 Liquor Tax Law to fund the war.

Three categories:
Sake
Sochu
Whisky

Question 14

What was the first alcoholic beverage Shinjiro Tori created?

Answer 14

Mukai-Jirushi Sweet Wine (Double Lion Brand)

This proceeded Acadama Port Wine in 1907 which was his first successful brand.

Question 15

How did Shinjiro Torii promote Acadama Port Wine?

Answer 15

Among other marketing he had a travelling musical troupe called the Acadama Musical Troupe.

Question 16

First whisky sold by Shinjiro Torii?

Answer 16

Hermes Old Scotch was first whisky… years before Shirofuda

Question 17

Suntory Shirofuda Whisky

Answer 17

-First whisky from Yamazaki
-Shirofuda means “White Label”
-It was a flop

Question 18

Akafuda Whisky

Answer 18

The follow up to Shirofuda was released in 1930

Means “Red Label”

Two years later they released Tokkaku.

All flopped

Question 19

After Takestsuru left Suntory, what was his first company?

Answer 19

Dai Nippon Kaju (the Great Japanese Juice Company) was founded to make apple juice.

Question 20

What was Shinjiro Torii’s early company called?

Answer 20

Kotobukiya

Question 21

What was the first successful whisky launched by Kotobukiya?

Answer 21

Kakubin (literally “square bottle”), was launched in 1937 as a 12 year old expression.
(This was at around the time that the still went in at Yoichi)

Question 22

What was Mastaka Taketsuru’s first distillery called?

Answer 22

Yoichi was built in island of Hokkaido in 1935-36.

Question 23

What were the first alcoholic beverage products released by Dai Nippon Kaju (taketsuru’s company)?

Answer 23

Rare Old Nikka Whisky
and Nikka Brandy

Question 24

Who actually sent Masataka Taketsuru to Scotland to study whisky production?

Answer 24

Kihei Abe owner of Settsu Shuzo. He has been introduced by Kiichiro Iwai - a schoolmate.

Abe ran the leading western liquor company in Japan at the time.

Question 25

How did both Kotobukiya (Torii) and Dai Nippon Kaju (Taketsuru) benefit during WWII?

Answer 25

Kotobukiya was producing industrial alcohol for the military, and The military was Dai Nippon Kaju’s biggest customer during the war. They had ample access to raw materials due to their production for the government. Sales were solid without having to invest in marketing. Although Kotobukiya did lose factories to bombing during the war, both Yamazaki and Yoichi survived with large stocks of whisky.

Question 26

Scotch Distilleries visited by Masataka Taketsuru.

Answer 26

Longmorn - 5 day internship April 21-25 1919 Bo’Ness two weeks (grain distillation) - Summer of 1919 Longer apprenticeship with Hazelburn in Campbeltown in 1920.

Question 27

First grading system for Japanese Whisky?

Answer 27

April 1, 1943 3 Grades for Whisky based on ABV and Mix Ratio which represented the % of “authentic whisky” in the blend 3rd Grade 37-39% abv O-5% mix ratio 2nd Grade 40-42% abv 5-30% mix ratio 1st Grade 43% abv 30+ mix ratio

Question 28

Which blended whisky started the “3rd Grade Whisky boom”

Answer 28

Torys Blended Whisky Released on April 1, 1946 3rd grade whisky had a mix ratio of 0-5% and basically meant it didn’t need to include any “authentic whisky” and could basically be neutral spirit.

Question 29

What were the two types of taxes put in place with the 1940 Liquor Tax Law?

Answer 29

Zoukokuzei - was tax levied at time of production kuradashizei - tax due when the liquid leaves the Kura (warehouse)

Question 30

Rare Old Nikka Whisky

Answer 30

Taketsuru was not at all interested in making 3rd Grade Whisky. He was only interested in 1st grade whisky, but the company was going broke. In August of 1950, based on a recommendation from the head of the National Tax Administration, Dai Nippon Kaju reluctantly released Rare Old Nikka… Their profits increased fourfold.

Question 31

Suntory Old

Answer 31

Launched in 1950, it would be a top performer for Suntory for decades 43% abv / 1st grade sold in distinctively shaped brown bottle 8-15 years old

Question 32

What change was made to Japanese Liquor tax Law in 1953?

Answer 32

1) Grading system changed from 1st, 2nd, 3rd to: 2nd Grade 37-39% abv 0-5% mix ratio 1st grade 40-42% abv 5-30% mix ratio Special Grade 43% abv Mix ratio - 30+ 2) removed the requirement for Genshu (used to be authentic whisky) to be aged for 3 years

Question 33

What changes were made to the Japanese Liquor Tax in 1962 (3rd change)?

Answer 33

Mix ratios changed slightly 2nd grade from 0-5 to - 0-10 1st grade from 5-30 to 10-20 Special grade from 30+ to 20+ Other change was a "luxury tax" was added on high-end liquor products over a certain threshold

Question 34

What was the first Japanese Single Malt? And when was it released?

Answer 34

Suntory Pure Malt Yamazaki 43% abv No age statement until 1986 (after that it was 12 yr) 10,000 yen for 700ml Released in 1984 to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of distillery.

Question 35

What was the first Single Malt released by Nikka? And when?

Answer 35

Nikka Single Malt Hokkaido 12 Year Old / 43% abv 12,000 yen for 700ml Released in 1984 for distillery’s 50th anniversary

Question 36

What were the pure Malts released by Nikka in the mid-1980’s?

Answer 36

Pure Malt Black and Pure Malt Red both released in December of 1984 -Black was Highland type and heavy on Yoichi -Red was was Lowland type and depended more on Sendai (Miyagikyo). Then they released Pure Malt White in June 1987

Question 37

What was Nikka blend that Takeshi Taketsuru released that was meant to give the consumer the experience of the blender?

Answer 37

Nikka From the Barrel Released at 51.4% was released in October 1985.

Question 38

What were Suntory Whiskies created in 1983 as part of the “ecomonization drive?”

Answer 38

Suntory released a 1st grade whisky called “Q” Sold as Q1000, Q500, and Q250 based on size of bottles and all at 40% abv

Question 39

What were whiskies from other distilleries in response to Suntory’s Q as part of economization drive?

Answer 39

Kirin-Seagram released “News” in August 1983. (1st grade 40% abv) Nikka released “Yz” in July 1984 (1st grade, 40% abv) then “no Side” (2nd grade 40% abv) Sanraku Ocean released Moo

Question 40

First release of Hibiki

Answer 40

Suntory released Hibiki in April 1989. It was the first release after the changes in tax law which normalized the taxes between whisky and Sochu. Created by Cheif blender Koichi Inatomi it was said to be inspired by Brahm’s 1st Symphony

Question 41

When did Taketsuru start working for Torii?

Answer 41

Contract signed in June 1923 1) Taketsuru would be sole responsible for whisky making, 2) all necessary funds needed would be provided by Torii, 3) contract for 10 years 4) paid 4,000 Yen per year

Question 42

Who took over running Kotobukiya from Shinjo Torii in 1960?

Answer 42

His son Keizo Saji

Question 43

What is unique about the Hibiki bottle?

Answer 43

The bottle has 24 sides to represent 24 hours in a day and the 24 Japanese “small seasons”

Question 44

At what point did Asahi Brewing become the leading shareholder in NIkka?

Answer 44

In 1953, Taketsuru's original partners both sold their shares to Asahi making them 51% owners.

Question 45

What was significant about 1963 for both Suntory and Nikka?

Answer 45

In 1963 Suntory doubled the number of stills at Yamazaki from 4 to 8. Nikka opened a Coffee Grain Whisky production facility in Nishinomiya.

Question 46

Suntory Blended Whisky Timeline

Answer 46

Shirofuda (1929) Akafuda (1930) Torys Blended (1946) Suntory Old (1950) Suntory Royal (1960) Suntory Red (1964) Gold Crest (1965) Suntory Reserve (1971)

Question 47

Nikka Blended Whisky timeline

Answer 47

Rare Old Nikka (1940) Marubin NIkky (1956) Gold Nikka (1955) Black Nikka (1956) Super Nikka (1962) Hi Nikka (1964) Gold & Gold (G&G) (1968

Question 48

What were two major changes in Japanese Whisky volume between 1964 and 1972?

Answer 48

1) volume almost trippled from 58,000 kilolitres to 166,000 2) Share per grade changed: 1964 2nd grade = 81.6% 1st grade = 7.6% Special = 10.7% 1972 2nd = 52.9% 1st = 14% Special = 33%

Question 49

What major whisky facilities opened in Japan between 1969 and 1973?

Answer 49

Nikka opened second malt facility in Sendai (Miyagikyo) in 1969. Suntory opened Chita grain distillery in 1972 and second malt distillery Hakashu in 1973. And in 1972 Kirin-Seagram opened Fuji Gotemba in 1973.

Question 50

What taxing change (4th) happened in 1968?

Answer 50

Mix ratios were changed from 1962 ranges 2nd from 0-10 to 7-13 1st from 10-20 to 13-23 Special from 20+ to 23+

Question 51

What taxing change happened in 1978?

Answer 51

Mix ratios bumped again

Question 52

What whisky did Nikka release in November of 2000 that became the flagship of their pure malt range?

Answer 52

Taketsuru A blend of Yoichi and Sendai (Miyagikyo) that was 100% malted barley blended from the two distilleries.

Question 53

What was the first whisky released that was 100% malted barley but not all pot still?

Answer 53

Nikka Coffey Malt released in May of 2000

Question 54

Japanese Whisky Market Share in 1983

Answer 54

Suntory = 74.4% Nikka = 16.5% Sanraku Ocean = 3.7% Kirin-Seagram = 3.2% Toa Shuzo = 0.4% Other producers =3.4%

Question 55

When did Karuizawa and Hanyu stop making whisky?

Answer 55

2000

Question 56

Highball trend

Answer 56

In April 2008, Suntory launched an ads campaign featuring a Kakubin highball. -highballs are made with whisky and good quality soda -advantage over mizuwari was soda water is a constant rather than worrying about quality of water -kakubin highball became a big hit partially thanks to ad campaign featuring actress Koyuki who had starred in “The Last Samurai” with Tom Cruise -highball trend was largely responsible for the rebirth of Japanese whisky -first focused on “izakaya” after work watering holes -then later on drinking at home

Question 57

Suntory Owner’s Cask program.

Answer 57

From November 10, 2004 until June 2010, 103 casks were made available for consumers (or groups) to purchase an entire cask. The oldest was a 1979 Yamazaki Mizunara butt priced at 30 million yen.

Question 59

What was the name of the company that bought up all the old Karuizawa and Hanyu casks and started bottling in 2007?

Answer 59

Number One Drinks Company