“Kirin Single Grain Japanese Whisky Fuji 50th Anniversary Edition” will be re-released by Kirin Beer Co. Features, price and how to buy thelimited edition bottle commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Fuji Gotemba Distillery.
The Single Grain Japanese Whisky Fuji 50th Anniversary Edition was sold by lottery in June this year. Information has now been released on the decision to re-release the product in limited quantities.
The product won the highest award in its category at the ISC (International Spirits Challenge) 2024 and is attracting further attention.
The whisky is a blend of all three types of grain (bourbon, Canadian and Scotch) from the original distillation in the 1970s, when the whisky was first distilled at the time of its valuable operation, and the subsequent generations in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s.
1. Lottery application
Applications can be made via Kirin’s online shop DRINX. DRINX membership registration is required to apply.
Official page is here.
The number of winners this time is 1,640.
Lottery acceptance date and time: 12:00, Tuesday 1 October 2024 – 15:00, Tuesday 5 November 2024.
Sales price: 27,500 yen (including tax).
2. About the Single Grain Japanese Whisky Fuji 50th Anniversary Edition
＜Contents＞
Fuji Gotemba Distillery’s whisky is filled with the skills, persistence and passion that the distillery has continued to refine.
It is a blend of all three types (Bourbon, Canadian and Scotch) of original grain from the precious 1970s distillation at the time of operation, and subsequent generations of original grain from the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. You can enjoy the beautiful taste of the sweet and complex matured aroma derived from the long-aged original grain and the gorgeous aroma of the original grain that has been continuously improved with an eye to the future.
＜Package: Label design＞
While retaining the Japanese paper feel and Mt Fuji on the bottom of the bottle of the year-round label, the special 50th anniversary limited edition label features a band at the bottom of the label and gold foil. The label design emphasises the precious limited edition nature of the bottle with the handwritten alcohol content and bottle number on each bottle, which is unique to a limited edition cask strength product.
＜Tasting Notes＞
Elegant and elegant, with a rich oak-ripened aroma and a gorgeous, concentrated fruitiness.Top note
Reminiscent of raspberries with sweet and aromatic notes of maple caramel. Concentrated fruit notes of red fruit and dried figs develop.Palate
Soft and smooth on the palate, in black fruits like blackcurrant,
Violets, roses and fresh rye bread flavors emerge.FINISH
Complex, rich, mature aroma with pleasant sweetness, lingering on the palate.
| Product name | Kirin Single Grain Japanese Whisky Fuji 50th Anniversary Edition |
|---|---|
| Sake type | Single Grain Japanese Whisky |
| Ingredients | Grain |
| Cask Type | ー |
| Number of bottles | Limited to 6,000 bottles worldwide |
| No. of bottles | 52% *Tentative for cask strength |
| Price | RRP: 27,500 yen (including tax) *Fuji Gotemba Distillery shop, DRINX price |
| Manufacture | Fuji Gotemba Distillery |
| Producer | Kirin Distillery Co. |
3. About Fuji Gotemba Distillery
| Location | 970 Shibafuda, Gotemba, Shizuoka 412-0003, Japan |
| Start of operation | November 1973 |
August 1972 Kirin-Seagram Company established as a joint venture between Kirin Brewery Company (Japan), JE Seagram Company (U.S., at the time), and Sievers Brothers (U.K.).
November 1973 Fuji Gotemba Distillery completed and production begins.
February 1974 Japanese Whisky “Robert Brown” is released.
July 2002 Company name changed to “Kirin Distillery Company, Limited” (became a wholly owned subsidiary of Kirin Brewery Company, Limited)
September 2005 Japanese Whisky “Kirin Whisky Fuji-Sanroku Barrel Aged 50°” and “Kirin Whisky Fuji-Sanroku Single Malt 18 Years” are released.
March 2016 “Kirin Whisky Fuji-Sanroku Blended 18 Years Old” released; “Kirin Whisky Fuji-Sanroku Barrel-Aged Original Sake 50°” released.
August 2018 “Fuji-Sanroku Signature Blend” is released.
April 2020 “Kirin Single Grain Whiskey Fuji” is released.
Fuji, “Kirin Distillery Company Limited’s Fuji Gotemba Distillery” is one of the few whisky distilleries in the world to handle the entire process from preparation to bottling of malt and grain whiskies.
The distillery produces a wide variety of Kirin Group products, including whisky, mineral water, and canned chuhai, in a natural environment blessed with abundant subterranean water from Fuji, a cool climate, and frequent fog throughout the year.
In February 2019, the company invested approximately 8 billion yen to expand its production facilities in preparation for further increases in whiskey sales volume in the future.
In order to produce a wide variety of malt whisky base whisky, four new small fermentation tanks and two lines of four distillers were installed to approximately double the base whisky production capacity, and the barrel storage capacity was increased by approximately 20% through renewal and enlargement of the barrel aging warehouse. The new facility will start operation in June 2021.
Reference: Kirin Distillery Company Limited official website
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For information on Fuji Gotemba Distillery, see also here ↓.
4. Line-up of the Fuji Gotemba Distillery
4-1. Single Malt Japanese Whisky Fuji
4-2. Single Blended Japanese Whisky Fuji
4-3. Single Grain Whisky Fuji
Lastly: Recommended Books on Japanese Whisky
If you want to learn more about Japanese whisky, which is a global trend, we highly recommend these books.
(1).Whisky Galore Vol.29 December 2021 issue
In the December 2021 issue of Whisky Galore, published by the Whisky Culture Research Institute, we report on 11 Japanese craft distilleries, including some that are open to the public for the first time, under the title of “Japanese Whisky Craft Frontline,” the first of three consecutive issues. Why did the popularity of Japanese whisky and the craft boom occur? We will examine with interviews. Chichibu Distillery / Chichibu No.2 Distillery / Mars Shinshu Distillery / Mars Tsunuki Distillery / Kanosuke Distillery / Hioki Distillery / Ontake Distillery / Osuzuyama Distillery / Kaikyo Distillery / Hanyu Distillery / Konosu Distillery
(2). Japanese Whisky as an Education for Business
This is a book written by Mamoru Tsuchiya, a world-famous whisky critic and representative of the Whisky Culture Research Institute, titled “Japanese Whisky as a Culture that Works for Business” .
The book covers the basics of whisky, the introduction of whisky to Japan, the birth of Japanese whisky, advertising strategies and the rise of Japanese whisky, and the current rise of craft distilleries. This is a book that summarizes Japanese whisky in a very easy to understand way.
(3). Whisky and I (Masataka Taketsuru)
Masataka Taketsuru, the founder of Nikka Whisky, devoted his life to brewing whisky in Japan. This is a revised and reprinted version of the autobiography of a man who simply loved whisky and talked about himself. The book vividly depicts the days when he went to Scotland alone to study as a young man and overcame many hardships to complete Japanese whisky, as well as his companion, Rita.
(4). A Letter of Challenge from a New Generation Distillery
Launching in 2019. With the world experiencing an unprecedented whisky boom, what were the managers of craft distilleries thinking and what were their thoughts as they took on the challenge of making whisky? This book tells the stories of 13 craft distillery owners, including Ichiro Hido of Venture Whisky, famous for his Ichirose Malt, who inspired the birth of craft distilleries in Japan.
(5). Whiskey Rising
This is the Japanese version of Whisky Risng, published in the US in 2016, with much updated content. Not only does it describe the history of Japanese whisky in detail, but it also includes data on all the distilleries in Japan, including the craft distilleries that have been founded in recent years. The book also includes descriptions of the legendary bottles that have been released, as well as information on bars where Japanese whisky can be found.
