MD/DE/DC - Spirits of Japan Portfolio Book

DISTILLERY AT THE BASE OF MT FUJI

FUJI

Mt Fuji Distillery | Chuba (Tokai), Shizuoka Prefecture

The Fuji Gotemba distillery was founded at the height of the

Japanese whisky industry in the early 1970s. A multinational

corporate collaboration drew up plans to open the distillery,

and production began in 1973. The collaboration consisted

of Seagram’s from Canada, Chivas Brothers from Scotland,

Four Roses distillery from the United States and the Kirin

Brewery Company from Japan (who distributed Four Roses

products in Japan).

The syndicate selected the site as they felt that it had a

climate most similar to Scotland’s. The town of Gotemba

is over 2000 feet (610 metres) above sea level and is much

cooler and less humid (especially in the summers) than

other areas of Japan. The water takes 50 years from snow

melt on Mt. Fuji to be filtered and used in our whiskies (malt

and grain), making us the gift from Mt. Fuji The distillery

was originally called the Gotemba Distillery and changed

its name to Fuji Gotemba when it came under the sole

ownership of Kirin in 2002.

Bottling and cooperage on site Fuji Gotemba distillery is located in the town of Gotemba, which lies at the foot of Japan’s iconic Mount Fuji. It currently holds the record as the world’s largest whisky distillery, with a capacity of an impressive 12 million litres a year. It produces both single malt and grain whiskies from imported barley and grain from Scotland and Ireland. There are separate still rooms for the single malt and grain whisky production and Fuji Gotemba is one of the few distilleries in Japan to have its own bottling plant and cooperage.

“This very rare bottle of Japanese whisky masters the single grain experience. Kirin’s Fuji Gotemba distillery is all about precision at every step. “

Fun Fact: Fuji has won WWA

“World Best Whiskey” four times in five years.