Tag Archives: Suntory

The House of Suntory celebrates 100 Years of Pioneering Japanese Spirit

  • The Founding House of Japanese Whisky partners with film icons Sofia Coppola and Keanu Reeves
  • Introduces new limited-edition whiskies to toast its centennial

The House of Suntory, the Founding House of Japanese Whisky, celebrates its 100th anniversary of whisky innovation: a major milestone not only for Suntory’s history but for Japanese spirits culture. In honour of this centennial, the House releases a Suntory Anniversary Tribute as imagined by Academy Award-winning director Sofia Coppola and starring actor Keanu Reeves, as well as exclusive 100th anniversary editions of its world-renowned whiskies.

Twenty years after filming Lost in Translation, Sofia Coppola returned to Japan to create the Suntory Anniversary Tribute. Coppola brings her artistic genius and admiration for Suntory Whisky to life as the creative director of The Tribute that honours Suntory’s illustrious past, present and future. The Suntory Anniversary Tribute tells the remarkable story of the brand’s heritage and whisky-making legacy over the last 100 years, depicting the meaning of “Suntory Time” through the eyes of its creator. It features actor Keanu Reeves, a lover of Suntory Whisky and who previously appeared in a Suntory Reserve ad campaign in 1992, debuted yesterday during the Suntory Time 100th Anniversary Global Premiere event in New York City.

“As the pioneer of Japanese whisky, the House of Suntory played a significant role in shaping culture and leading craftsmanship in Japan over the last century,” said Jon Potter, Managing Director of House of Suntory. “To mark this historic milestone, partnering with Sofia and Keanu, who are Suntory Whisky fans, makes perfect sense. From our Fifth Generation Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo’s striking blends to Sofia and Keanu’s unique cinematic creations, this commemoration has surpassed all expectations to celebrate our iconic Japanese whiskies.”

Later this summer, Reeves will star in another creative project in partnership with the House of Suntory: a series of documentary shorts from filmmaker Roman Coppola titled: “The Nature and Spirit of Japan.” The series explores Japanese whisky culture inspired by harmony with nature (Wa), elevated by Japanese craftsmanship (Monozukuri) and enjoyed as an authentic Japanese cultural experience (Omotenashi). The docuseries will strike a balance between education and entertainment, aiming to foster a deeper exploration of the House of Suntory and Japanese culture overall.

“I’m honored to partner with Suntory Whisky again thirty years after our Suntory Reserve campaign,” said Keanu Reeves. “I’m a huge fan of Suntory Whisky, so it’s very special to collaborate in honour of this milestone anniversary. My admiration for the whisky goes beyond tasting the whisky. It is the elevated Japanese craftsmanship and attention to every detail that makes Suntory Whisky so special. As an actor honing and perfecting my own craft, sharing this process in a docuseries is a thrill.”

In honour of the centennial, the House of Suntory is releasing several limited-edition whiskies that highlight the unique Japanese craftsmanship at Suntory’s whisky distilleries and their meticulous art of blending, including Yamazaki 18 Year Old Mizunara and Hakushu 18 Year Old Peated Malt whiskies. Limited 100th anniversary labels of the flagship Yamazaki 12-Year-Old and Hakushu 12-Year-Old will also be released for the centennial.

“Hakushu and Yamazaki whiskies are gifts from our past handed down by generations,” said Fifth Generation Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo. “It is fitting to release limited editions as part of this incredible milestone, as they represent our relentless pursuit of quality and symbolise our promise to carry our philosophy on for the next one hundred years and beyond.”

The centennial of the House of Suntory began with the establishment of its Yamazaki Distillery in 1923 – the first and oldest malt whisky distillery in Japan’s history. The House of Suntory founder Shinjiro Torii’s 100-year legacy began with a dream to “create an original Japanese whisky blessed with the riches of Japanese nature and craftsmanship,” which his grandson Shingo Torii carries forth today at Yamazaki and its distilleries across the country. Since its founding, the House of Suntory has been crafting world-class spirits and is known for Yamazaki, Hakushu, Chita, Kakubin, Hibiki, Suntory Whisky Toki and Ao, as well as Roku Gin and Haku Vodka.

This landmark anniversary is a significant milestone for House of Suntory and for its home country of Japan. As a first step toward its promising future, the House of Suntory is investing 10 billion JPY ($77 million USD) to enhance its Yamazaki and Hakushu Distilleries which are currently closed for renovation and scheduled to reopen this fall. The House of Suntory has become synonymous with some of the best Japanese whiskies in the world today, and it has undoubtedly built a legacy worthy of celebration.

The House of Suntory has invited fans to join its new global membership programme. Members will be among the first to hear about House of Suntory new releases, receive priority consideration for invitations to consumer experiences, learn news from the distilleries, gain early access to content and more. The House of Suntory membership programme aims to bring Japanese whisky enthusiasts together around the world and provide a cultural journey through Japan.

Beam Suntory Launches Regenerative Agave Program for Carbon Capture in Tequila Industry

Beam Suntory recently announced that it is launching a first-of-its-kind pilot programme within the tequila industry to explore regenerative agricultural practices in the agave fields near its Casa Sauza operations in Jalisco, Mexico. The programme has the potential to reveal new opportunities to improve carbon capture and supports Beam Suntory’s Proof Positive sustainability agenda and commitment to achieving net zero emissions in direct operations by 2030.

In partnership with environmental professional services company Red BioTerra, the pilot programme will explore methods of maximising carbon capture in agave fields by introducing additional plants, which absorb carbon during the day, between rows of agave, which absorbs carbon at night to avoid water loss. If successful, this method is expected to neutralise 50% of Casa Sauza’s emissions by 2026, and 100% by 2030.

“This marks an exciting step toward more sustainably sourcing the highest quality agave for our renowned Casa Sauza tequila, ultimately benefitting the environment through the power of regenerative agriculture,” said Kim Marotta, Global Vice President of Environmental Sustainability, Beam Suntory. “We are proud to be working toward our sustainability commitments with cutting-edge initiatives across our entire family of brands.”

The pilot programme is the latest development in Casa Sauza’s long-held commitment to environmentally friendly practices. The tequila brand has one of the industry’s lowest water usage rates and is working toward further reducing water, energy and waste at its facilities through continuous production improvements and new technologies – including switching from fuel oil to natural gas. Casa Sauza is also part of the Charco Bendito Project, through which it supports the restoration and protection of a sub-basin of the Lerma–Santiago River and promotes reforestation, soil conservation and recharging the aquifer.

“Caring for the environment is a core value in our pursuit to produce the finest tequila,” said Servando Calderon, General Manager Tequila Operations, Casa Sauza. “We are proud to be kicking off this new pilot programme, which has the potential to capture more than 36,800 tons of carbon per year – leading to healthier soil, increased biodiversity and reduced soil erosion.”

Results from the pilot programme, which is inspired and supported by parent company Suntory Holdings’ Growing for Good initiative, are anticipated by the end of its first year of study, with the potential to extend for an additional seven years.

The House of Suntory Introduces Hibiki Blossom Harmony, a limited-edition blended whisky

The House of Suntory, the founding House of Japanese Whisky, recently announced the release of Hibiki Blossom Harmony, a limited-edition blend featuring whiskies finished in Sakura casks.

The Sakura Blossom season in early spring has always been an occasion for celebration in Japan, with many gathering around the beautiful flowering Sakura trees that inspire the Japanese to appreciate life as it blooms. Hibiki Blossom Harmony captures this joyful spirit by blending a rare selection of whiskies finished in Sakura wood casks with diverse matured malt and grain whiskies to create this particular Hibiki. 

This limited-edition bottle will be available beginning in October in select global markets including in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Austria, United Arab Emirates, Netherlands, Italy, Turkey, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. The expression is bottled at 43% ABV and has a suggested retail price of $160 USD. 

Hibiki is a harmonious blend of various malt and grain whiskies from Suntory’s Yamazaki, Hakushu and Chita distilleries. Constantly pushing the boundaries of what Japanese Whisky can be, the House of Suntory continues to explore and experiment with various wood types. The Sakura cask was one that intrigued Fifth Generation Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo.

“I have been mesmerised by the Sakura cask for the last five years now due to its symbolism, but also because of its distinctive, subtly floral and spicy aroma and flavour notes,” says Fukuyo. “There have been many experiments with malt and grain whisky components, and we found that there was a special alchemy between the grain whiskies and the Sakura cask. It is this special relationship – harmony – that inspired me to create this blend.”

Achieving the right balance and orchestration proved to be a great challenge from the start since the Sakura cask is one with strong character that can easily become overbearing. After a period of trial and error, Fukuyo found that the grain whiskies finished in the Sakura cask best elevated the overall balance, and the end result is a particularly distinctive expression of Hibiki. It begins with an enticing floral bouquet, followed by the signature Hibiki depth and complexity of honey, candied orange peel, jasmine and chocolatey decadence. The finish features surprising bittersweet spicy notes.

Meaning “Resonance” in Japanese, Hibiki embodies the Suntory philosophy ‘To Create Harmony with People and Nature’. As a House of Master Blenders, the House of Suntory has gone to great lengths to explore the breadth and depth of what Harmony can mean for a blend. Hibiki Blossom Harmony celebrates a particular kind of Harmony.

Beam Suntory moves towards 2030 goal, launches Oaksmith in North India

Following a massive success in various markets since its launch, Oaksmith, a premium Indian whisky and the Iconic portfolio from The House of Suntory – Yamazaki, Hibiki, Toki – and Japanese craft gin – Roku –  are all set to expand presence in North Indian states including UP, Haryana, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Delhi.

Beam Suntory, the global premium spirits company, has introduced a range of five premium spirits in markets of North India, signaling its commitment and strategy to grow in India in line with its ambition to reach USD 1 billion in revenue by 2030. Continuing the momentum after launching successfully in pilot markets in 2019, the entry of five premium brands in North Indian market is a huge stride for the company to tread strongly towards its 2030 ambition. The launch of Oaksmith in North India is key to Beam Suntory’s growth strategy in India.

“India is a strategic market for Beam Suntory, and we are thrilled by the appreciation that Oaksmith, Toki, Hibiki and The Yamazaki have received from consumers in India. The growing premiumization of the Indian market and the appreciation for finely crafted spirits make this an exciting time to expand the launch of these brand in India. Indians today are exposed to global trends, which inspired the creation of Oaksmith for whisky lovers in India,” says Neeraj Kumar, Managing Director of Beam Suntory India. On Oaksmith and Oaksmith Gold, he said, “The beautiful blend incorporates our East Meets west competitive advantage and incorporates years of tradition that the Beam Suntory family upholds while showcasing Shinji-san’s award-winning blending capabilities making it a whisky that, quite simply, no one else could possibly create. We are excited to launch our brands across North India with its diverse offerings in terms of culture, people and places. We see a growing opportunity for premium quality spirits across these states”

Roku Gin Review

In this video we review Roku Gin from Beam Suntory which comes from Japan. Roku stands for the word 6 in Japanese and it pays tribute to the 6 special botanicals that come from Japan.

The gin is available in Mumbai for Rs. 6,500 making it one of the most expensive gins in the market. We have reviewed and tasted the gin which contains the ABV value of 43%.

This video is for entertainment purpose only and the magazine, channel and the host do not promote alcohol consumption.

Click here to watch the full video.

Beam Suntory India targets $1 billion in sales by 2030

With leading brands like Teacher’s and Jim Beam, Neeraj Kumar, Managing Director, Beam Suntory, India, is given the ambitious goal of reaching $1 billion in sales by 2030.

As the new MD of India what is your first order of business?

In keeping with our global objective to be the world’s most admired and fastest growing premium spirits company, our ambition in India will be to further develop our business here and join the US and Japan as one of Beam Suntory’s largest markets.

To help achieve our ambition and ensure focus, we have simplified our International region structure and India is now one of three Business Units that comprise Beam Suntory’s International region. In India, with leading brands like Teacher’s, Jim Beam, The Ardmore, Laphroaig, Bowmore, Sauza and premium brands under our House of Suntory portfolio, we have an aspiration of reaching $1 billion in sales by 2030. Our most immediate priority is to build on the current momentum of our premium portfolio across different consumer occasions by leveraging our East-Meets-West competitive advantage. We will also continue to leverage the passion of our people for water and the environment by continuing to commit to initiatives supporting environmental sustainability.

What are the goals and objectives that you have set for the company this year?

We continue to develop our presence in India as a growth engine of the future by unlocking new growth opportunities to build scale. Our Vision into Action strategy leverages three pillars: Creating Famous Brands, Building Winning Markets and Fueling our Growth. This strategy provides continuity with an added emphasis on premiumisation and doing business the right way. Like in our other geographies, we’re demonstrating the unique power of East-meets-West. We blend the best of the East – including an unparalleled commitment to quality, continuous improvement and Dreaming Big – with the best of the West, reflected in an entrepreneurial, innovative and winning mindset.

While the Indian market presents a great opportunity, there are also a number of challenges. Can you highlight both in your company’s case? Firstly, we see an incredible opportunity with the growing LDA consumer base and premiumisation being witnessed in the market where consumers prefer quality over quantity. The Spirits category is large, yet the route to market can be complex and potentially pose challenges across the various markets in India. Our focus is to build brands which can be trusted and delight our consumers in a responsible manner. A key challenge is to be able to build brands in a scalable and sustainable manner.

How do you plan to get Teacher’s to attain its past growth and market share?

Teacher’s is one of the strongest and most loved Scotch brands in India. It has a resilient brand equity. We continue to see great momentum with Teacher’s and over the past few years we have focussed our efforts and resources to create premium innovations like the Teacher’s Golden Thistle 12YO which has found tremendous acceptance across markets in India. Teacher’s remains a strong consumer choice and in the last few years has grown in line with our category footprint – including during disruptive events like the highway bars ban a couple of years ago.

Which are the other brands you would like to focus on for the Indian market?

We believe Jim Beam has a huge potential in the Indian market especially because of the growing number of Legal Drinking Age consumers who like to experiment with new tastes. Jim Beam is a versatile serve and can be enjoyed with a variety of mixers or just straight. It’s differentiated taste is perfectly suited for young metro consumers who are looking to up-trade to high quality Bourbon whiskey. Globally and in Asia, Bourbon is a fast-growing segment and we intend to build Jim Beam into a fun and vibrant brand.

We are also very excited to scale up our premium portfolio and building The Ardmore, our newly introduced Scotch Single Malt which was voted the best BIO Single Malt in India in the 2019 Ambrosia Awards. The Ardmore is a balanced smoky Single Malt and a new taste for Indian consumers.

While Hibiki Whisky is globally recognised for its taste and quality, in India it still isn’t a very popular name. Do you have any plans to promote it since India is primarily a Whisky drinking market?

Japanese whiskies continue to draw very high attention and interest globally thanks to their exclusive taste and craftsmanship. We are assessing the India market opportunity to decide what would be the right time to introduce our luxury Japanese whisky portfolio in India. Our parent company Suntory is fully committed to support the re-introduction of these brands in India.

Gin is also a growing category in India. What are your plans for the same with Roku being a popular product?

Roku has been a huge success globally since its launch. It is already a familiar name amongst the gin consumers in India thanks to its spectacular presence in duty free and other global markets. We are exploring the India market opportunity to finalise the appropriate time to introduce the House of Suntory luxury portfolio in India.

Which are the major regions that Beam Suntory could see good growth in the Indian market? Are you looking at new territories?

We would like to consolidate our presence in the major whisky markets in India. While the metro cities in India present a showcase and consumption opportunity, the growth in mini metros and towns is spectacular. Teacher’s and Jim Beam enjoy strong distribution and availability across domestic and duty-free channels.

What new marketing initiatives you would like to initiate to take advantage of the growing market?

Growing our presence at the On Trade and Horeca channel is a high priority. Building Sales force effectiveness and focussing on vital consumer touchpoints will be another initiative. We are committed to the strengthening of brand equity and share gains for Teacher’s and drive trials of Jim Beam & The Ardmore At the very top end, consumers can expect our luxury whisky and gin portfolio in top accounts.

Despite the challenges in India, how important is the Indian market for Beam Suntory?

As I mentioned earlier, India is a strategic priority for Beam Suntory. We have an ambitious growth agenda commensurate with our demographic dividend and leading emerging market status. Our robust investments on feet on street, talent and channel expansion reflect a strong commitment from Beam Suntory to the Indian market. Additionally, we are committed to deliver our vision of Growing for Good, protecting water and the environment, giving back to our communities and promoting responsible consumption of our products.