With the iconic Yamazaki Distillery celebrating a century of whisky‑making, We find out from fifth‑generation chief blender Shinji Fukuyo how the House of Suntory is continuing its legacy for generations to come
“I want to create a perfect whisky that reflects the nature of Japan and the spirit of Japanese craftsmanship.” These were the famous words of Shinjiro Torii, the founder of Japanese luxury spirits company Suntory, when he established the Yamazaki Distillery in 1923 on the periphery of Japan’s historic capital of Kyoto, where the rivers Katsura, Uji and Kizu converge. In the spirit of monozukuri, which embodies dedication to quality and Japanese craftsmanship, Torii tapped on the location’s soft and mineral‑rich waters as well as ideal climatic conditions to create exquisite expressions that were more suited to the Japanese’s delicate palate.
I visit this birthplace of Japanese whisky on a misty morning in March upon the invitation of the House of Suntory to kick‑start the 100th anniversary of its Yamazaki Distillery, and see how Torii’s vision had come to life with the thousands of American, Spanish and extremely rare Mizunara oak casks holding the precious liquid in the warehouse. These were aged for decades before they were blended, bottled and released in the market, then quickly snapped up by whisky collectors and connoisseurs alike—in spite of their exorbitant prices. At Bonhams Hong Kong in 2020, the Yamazaki 55 Year Old (the distillery’s oldest expression to date) was sold for about S$1.075 million, setting a new record for the most expensive Japanese whisky ever sold at auction.
Read more: How Suntory World Whisky Ao Combines 5 Whisky-Making Traditions Into One Beautiful Expression
But what makes Yamazaki whiskies so covetable today? The House of Suntory’s fifth‑generation chief blender Shinji Fukuyo believes that it is all about having a vision for the future. “We think about what kind of whisky consumers will enjoy and what type of whisky is needed in the years to come,” he says, adding that the master blenders patiently wait for the distillates to age in casks for 10, 20 or even 30 years to achieve their desired flavour profiles. “It’s important for us to consider these factors when we create new blends or expressions.”
Marking Yamazaki’s centennial celebrations this year, Fukuyo and his team launched four limited‑edition expressions of Suntory’s flagship whiskies. One of the releases is the Yamazaki 18 Years Old Mizunara, a blend of malt whiskies aged in Mizunara oak casks for a minimum of 18 years. “The Mizunara casks are hard to come by and source,” says Fukuyo, who adds that Suntory was the first whisky maker to experiment on these Japanese casks as early as the 1940s, under the guidance of Torii and second‑generation master blender Keizo Saji. Only 1 per cent of the 1.2 million whisky casks currently in the House of Suntory’s warehouse are Mizunara oak casks.
I took a sip of the whisky, which has a reddish amber hue and enticing notes of dark cherry and ripe peach interspersed with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg, and let it linger on my palate to appreciate its complex taste profile. There is a distinct Japanese spiciness that is not overpowering, and an incense‑like flavour of sandalwood and agarwood influenced by the Mizunara oak. The finish also lasted long after my last sip.
In case you missed it: House of Suntory celebrates 100 years of whisky-making with limited-edition expressions and experiential dinners
