Japan’s whisky makers drum up global market for their drams
TOKYO -- After years of being overshadowed at home and
practically unheard of overseas, Japan’s whisky distilleries are
expanding capacity as their malts become serious contenders against
Scottish and Irish brands.
Exports are booming at Nikka, owned by Asahi Group Holdings ,
and at Suntory Holdings, which is ramping up production at its Yamazaki
distillery for the first time in 45 years as domestic sales recover from
a prolonged slump.
But some are concerned the distilleries may be caught out if the
enthusiasm for whisky changes as it did in the 1990s, when several
smaller players shut down as Japanese drinkers shifted to beer, clear
spirits and imported liquor.
“At the moment, no one can see this boom busting. The difficulty is that
you’re making it today for 20 or 50 years’ time,” said Marcin Miller,
an importer of small-batch Japanese whisky with his British company
Number One Drinks.
The drop in demand during the 1990s meant Suntory and Nikka had to cut
production, industry experts say, leaving distilleries with a shortage
of stock for their youngest single malts when whisky made a comeback in
2008.
Last year, Suntory stopped making its 10-year Yamazaki and Hakushu
single malts and introduced “no age” versions instead. Nikka is expected
to phase out its 12-year Taketsuru single malt after releasing a “no
age” variety this year.
The slump had more a serious impact on minor distilleries such as
Karuizawa, Mars and Hanyu. All three were mothballed by 2000 and their
stock left dormant until a run of international awards for Japanese
whisky brought buyers knocking.
BOOTLEG TO BLOCKBUSTER
In its earliest incarnation, Japanese whisky was a bootleg adulterated
with spices and perfume. Lacking strict regulations of the Scottish and
Irish varieties, it was largely ignored by foreign connoisseurs for much
of its 90-year history.
“I thought going to drink Japanese whisky would be a bit like drinking a
Welsh claret,” Miller said of his first trip to Japan in 1999, when he
was editor of Whisky Magazine. “I wondered ‘Will my hosts be offended if
I drink gin and tonic?’.”
Miller was soon converted but he found no one to share his enthusiasm
with back in Britain, where Japanese whisky exports were practically
non-existent.
The turning point came in 2001, when Nikka’s 10-year Yoichi single malt won “Best of the Best” at Whisky Magazine’s awards.
Japanese makers have stormed competitions ever since, with Suntory
winning “Distiller of the Year” at the International Spirit Challenge
for the third time in July and the Trophy prize for its 21-year Hibiki
blend.
The acclaim nudged Japan’s distilleries to market overseas and sales
jumped. Nikka’s exports grew 18-fold between 2006 and 2012, while
Suntory is looking to double overseas shipments to 3.6 million bottles
by 2016. They grew 16% in 2012.
While that is still a wee dram compared with sales of more than 72
million bottles at home, Suntory and Nikka export only premium varieties
to the United States and Europe. In Japan, premium bottles make up 6%
of sales.
A MATTER OF TIME
Distillers and blenders toiled for years to replicate traditional
techniques, following notes brought from Scotland in 1920 by pioneer
Masataka Taketsuru, who worked for Suntory before founding Nikka.
Japan’s mountain water and icy winters proved ideal. Foreign fans rave
about the authentic taste of Japanese whisky, a result of attention to
every part of the process -- from imported peat to the blending.
“While Scotch is about maintaining the flavor of a certain brand or
label, Japanese distillers think mainly about increasing flavors,” said
Atsushi Horigami, owner of the Zoetrope bar in Tokyo, which specializes
in Japanese whisky.
Horigami said most Japanese drinkers go for blended whisky but the
leftover stock from the mothballed distilleries -- sold as single casks
-- has been a hit with foreigners.
Aficionados and speculators alike await the releases of batches of the
Karuizawa stock, which was bought by Miller’s Number One Drinks in 2011.
Miller says most bottles are snapped up within seconds, going for as
much as £12,500 ($20,700).
But with just two years of auctions left and the remaining bottles from
Hanyu and Mars also in short supply, some wonder where Japanese whisky
lovers are going to find their single cask kicks in years to come.
“We may be on the crest of a wave now and in a few years see a
completely different scene,” said Stefan van Eycken, editor of Nonjatta,
a blog on Japanese whisky.
That’s where Suntory and Nikka hope to step in. But time will tell
whether they can sustain the fashion for their brands for the decade or
more it will take to produce their famed single malts. -- Reuters
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