Japan has a long and amazing history of telling epic stories that are still enjoyed all over the world. The story of whisky in Japan is no exception to this and it all began with the Yamazaki Distillery. The distillery is styled on the Scottish model of whisky production but the whisky made at Yamazaki is very much unique with a fresh, fruity nature which is weighted with a deep yet subtle spice.
Founded
1923
Owner
Beam Suntory
Production Status
Operational
Capacity
6,000,000 Litres
Shinjiro Torii, the founder of Suntory, had a dream to bring whisky distilling to Japan. He saw the rise in popularity of Scotch and wanted to create a style a whisky specifically for the Japanese palate. He decided that the best model for this would be the style produced in Scotland but with a traditional Japanese cultural methiology running through it.
1923 was the year that Yamazaki first opened its doors and unleashed Japanese whisky unto the world, but the project already had a leg up before this even started. It's first manager and Master Blender, a gentleman named Masataka Taketsuru, had spent a year in Scotland learning the art of whisky making within a country that had been doing it for hundreds of years. He enrolled at Glasgow University before learning his craft at distilleries including Longmorn and Hazelburn. He also met his wife, Rita, while in Scotland and through the years she has affectionately become to be known as the 'Mother of Japanese whisky'. They both returned to Japan and were instrumental in setting up Yamazaki but after a decade of success they decided to strike out on their own.
Today Yamazaki is one of the most sought after spirits int he world. it wins new awards every year and they often struggle to keep up with global demand for their products. However, rather than rush things or cut standards the whisky from the distillery has always maintained an exceptional quality. It has been nearly 100 years since the story of Japanese whisky began with Yamazaki and, so far, there is certainly no end in sight.