Your comment will get a thumbs down for promoting this kind of crap. (yes, I realize sponsorship is important) Maybe "Established Titles" (the same thieves) would have been a better tie-in with the Scottish opening of this vid. Japanese whisky has its own profile and I've enjoyed when I had the opportunity.
I work for suntory and often give "the history of japanese whisky" talk, you did a fantastic job and I even learned a few things I didn't know. Well done.
Excellent video! Glad you included Taketsuru and his wife in your research. An "asadora" that dramatized Taketsuru's contributions to Nikka Whiskey (now part of Asahi, rival to Suntory) was broadcast by NHK over a 6 month period in 2014 and 2015 and it was a HUUUGE TV hit in Japan. That drama raised awareness even in Japan of the high quality whiskeys made both by Suntory and Nikka. As you mentioned, in Suntory's early days, Taketsuru decided to go independent from Suntory, but the Suntory president was very generous and even invested in Taketsuru's next endeavor. The TV drama really made high end Nikka and Suntory whiskeys very hard to find in Japan because they were continually selling out. Rita, who was Scottish, endured tremendous challenges during the war years because she was seen as an enemy but she stuck with Taketsuru until her death in Japan in 1961. As some commented below, if you can find a gal like Rita to be your wife, you will be a very lucky guy. Taketsuru would not have succeeded without her support.
I saw a lot of that and then later looked up the real life Scottish lady. In the "asa-dora" she is presented almost as the Japanese ideal of an innocent Edwardian/ foreign/American lady, wearing dress that Japanese would be familiar with from Little House on the Prairie. In photos she is shown wearing the dress of a sophisticated, educated 1920s woman. It is funny how even recent history is altered to meet modern stereotypes.
Here in Japan, ハイボール _(haibouru)_ means specifically a whiskey soda, rather than having the more general meaning that it does in English. The general meaning is known, however; shouchu mixed with a mixer is called a "chu-hi," which is said to be short for "shouchu highball." I'd not known that Suntory bought Jim Beam. That explains why Jim Beam highballs, specifically, are now so widely advertised in bars and restaurants here, about as often as Suntory whisky highballs now.
@@leo42062 so do I but Jim Beam is absolute basic mix OR at higher/better levels is overpriced and always seems to have a better price/taste contender. And since like all “taste” stuff it is highly subjective, I think it’s awesome that you like what you like. My best friend LOVES Ardbeg and I think it is TRASH. 🤷♂️
Once at a conference in Tokyo I got a Suntory highball from the bar on the penthouse floor of a skyscraper, and after that became a fan of that drink for life.
@@szurketaltos2693 I'm the rita to someone, ain't seen my family in 6 years thanks to it and they're 10,000 miles away 🥃to rita, ain't an easy thing to do
Slight correction: Suntory's original location was in the Nishi district of Osaka, not Nishi-Shinjuku in Tokyo. Torii wanted the distillery closer to major cities like Osaka and Tokyo because it took like three days to get to Hokkaido back then.
I love the probably apocryphal story that because the shape of the still is so important to the taste of the final product, early Japanese producers replicated the shape of the macallan stills down to the dents. I just wish I could still afford any Japanese whisky - prices have risen five-fold since I started drinking it 15 years ago. Yamazaki 18 is one of my all time favourites - it consistently came top in our blind tests.
The problem of japanese whisky now, is that it's too expensive for what it is. It's not a miracle product, it's not worth anything to me when it's bested by whisky that's less than half the price. Very much like mcallan and few other scotch distillers.
I don't think the high price is because of increases in listed prices, but because of greedy gray marketeers hoarding the limited supplies and profiting from it.
What a great video! I lived in Yoichi, Hokkaido from 2014 - 2017 and the Nikka Whiskey distillery played a big part in the local community. This video was a lovely trip down memory lane, thanks!
Never ever imagined that Asianometry will anytime make a video about... Whiskey. The breadth of topics covered by this channel will never stop to surprise me.
I have a vague memory of watching an episode of 60 Minutes, news show in the United States in the 1980s. Talking about Japanese whiskey, back when everyone was afraid of Japan, they got some alleged experts together and blind taste test, and Japanese whiskey against authentic scotch. As I recall, a lot of them, seem to have trouble telling the difference.
That’s true of a lot of products: very little difference from “ok” to “great” with much of it being perceived/placebo which is lost when the testing is blind.
@@JamesDecker7 Especially products that taste like flavored rubbing alcohol. Don't get me wrong, I've gotten used to the taste of alcohol and enjoy it. But I imagine it still harms your ability to distinguish flavors even once you learn to "like" the taste.
@@TheSpecialJ11 You can taste whiskey a lot better by adding a splash of water. This should release a lot of the floral tastes. There is a scientific reason for this as well, something to do with the solvability of the chemicals.
The Suntory whiskey for the salaryman was not great in the 1980s and 1990s - that is the stuff that was supposed to be served with ice and water. Actually, I found it pretty poor.
@@nahimgudfam Not with the Japanese stuff in the 1980s/1909s. Actually thought it made it worse. Particularly at the university graduation party in Japan.
If you tap in the search, Dewars White Label, you’ll find out where Suntory were coming from with their original product. You’ll also notice that Tommy Dewar introduced the ‘high ball’ to New York. In the UK this drink is a ‘scotch and soda’ you add as much or as little soda as you like…and have it with or without lemon. As a 2:1 mix soda to scotch, it, along with gin and tonic, became the classic drink across the clubs and bars of the British Empire. It’s a favourite amongst my Indian friends. It’s probably the only way to drink Bells, in fact it’s so closely associated with Bells, that Bells & soda is synonymous 😁
13:20 Oh my god, it's that scene from An Autumn Afternoon! I love that movie, I even have part of that clip uploaded on my channel, I'm really glad you showed it.
By pure coincidence I've just finished reading You Only Live Twice, and was really taken by Fleming's description of Japanese food and drink. Will have to get some Japanese Whisky to try.
I don't think we can underestimate the profound affect that the noted American actor Bob Harris had on Suntory's fortune with the ad campaign that contained the legendary phrase, "For relaxing times, make it Suntory time."
Very informative video!! I think the main reason for the increased pricing of Suntory and Nikka whiskey is a huge shortage of the aged 12 years and older whiskey. Demand from China and North America also helped sales . I've heard both Suntory and Nikka now have many more casks being aged. Interestingly in 2018, I saw the Taiwan Ka La Van at Costco in California. Take care everybody.
I remember the days before before the Japanese Bubble burst. If you are an executive or even “salaryman” you would give and receive whiskey bottles. That was the sign that you are appreciated or achieve goals. Pretty much standard etiquette in the business world over there. Or even when you worked with a Japanese company. My father was never much of alcohol drinker. So, over the years, the alcohol cabinet start to get smaller and smaller. Even in my twenties when I started to do some traveling abroad my father used to ask me to buy one of boxes of Japanese and non Japanese whiskey. So, only on sales of whiskey as gift, there was a tremendous market. I really didn’t pay much attention about Japanese whiskey consumption after the Japanese economic crisis started. Kind of coincides with time that my father retired. Part of history of how the whiskey was first produced in Japan is well know, but I never new what happened from 1970’s and beyond. Another note. Suntory built and operated high end restaurants in major metropolitan cities in US. However, in the late 80’s or early 90’s, sadly, they closed. I know that the one in San Francisco did, I don’t know if the on in NY did it too. Good video!
I hadn't heard of Suntory until *Lost in Translation.* And even then, I thought it might have been a fictitious brand just for the movie. It didn't take me long to discover it was very real after that. Thank you for the detailed history. Very nicely done.
Same. Easily one of my top 100 films, though not a Coppola fan overall. I learned Suntory was real when writing a paper on it, and googling it for spelling.
In the wake of the first Japanese whisky boom, beside the large producers like Suntory, Kirin and Nikka, a number of smaller distilleries have opened up in Japan. They have a more artisanal approach to making whisky, with many surprisingly good results. Chichibu and Mars Shinshu are my two favourites. I've been able to visit them both when they were still upcoming. Unfortunately nowadays, their bottlings are extremely difficult to get outside of Japan (unless you bring the big $$$). Then there is White oak / Eigashima which started producing whisky to have something to do during the sake-making off-season and found out there was actually an audience for their, sometimes 'weird' products. Their main lineup is at least available outside of Japan for decent prices, but not as impressive as their 'weirder' bottlings. In recent years a third wave of distilleries is setting up shop (Akkeshi, Nagahama, Kanosuke) and Mars built a second distillery (Hombro). Nagahama must have financed their startup with releasing Amahagan world blends. I haven't been able to catch something from the other distilleries yet. Let's hope some of that stuff will actually become available.
I wanted to visit the Chichibu distillery, but they were so far outta the way, I wouldn't have been able to justify the trip, and I wasn't really able to secure a guarantee they'd be open. I have visited the Kirin distillery, and that was pretty nice, aside from the fact that they'd sold out of everything mid-tier and above. I'm able to occasionally find bottles of Ichiro's here in the US, but I haven't tried all the stuff that I wanted to from them.
I was lucky to Pick up 1 bottle of Kansouke 2022 at the airport duty free, 59% cask strength and aged in Sherry cask, incredible delicious whiskey and I got it for a good price ¥12,000
Here in São Paulo, Brazil, from 1975 to 2005, Suntori had the country's best and most famous japanese restaurant, named Suntori. From 2005 to 2016, the same crew worked in the same place ,then named Shintori, that was still one of the better japanese restaurants
Being raised in SP, I don’t recall about a Suntory restaurant over there. But there various of their restaurants in US. Sadly they closed in the 80’s. It was a great marketing exposure for the company and a great experience. I loved it.
@@MatheusOliveira-cw9th they've said in a news that the building (a japanese palace replica) was sold to a building company (that made an office tower or something with no visual relevance like that), so the restaurant never opened again
Thanks for this, Japanese whisky doesn’t have a great reputation with people of my generation in the U.K., but I will give it a try. I live not far from Elgin in Scotland, so there is a great tradition of manufacture around here.
I'll say that if you're a fan of particular flavor notes, Japanese whiskey is probably going to seem overrated. The two most common things I note in good Japanese whiskey variants are the smoothness and sweetness. Also, don't buy anything from the Matsui distillers, all their stuff is carefully designed to look like the better producers, but all their whiskey is astroturfed. Just bought, blended, bottled, and marked up.
@@kevinliu7186 yes. Usually the brewer will make whisky very concentrate as a source whisky. Then they will add water to whisky for final product. That is how most whiskey is 40% alcohol and some as high as 60%
@@Theoryofcatsndogs It's not a _law_ but a voluntary industry group regulation by the Japan Spirits and Liqueur Makers Association. There is no enforcement mechanism except shaming violators. Hopefully it provides a framework for the government to actually enshrine it into law with teeth in the enforcement side.
I stayed at the upscale Hotel Arc Riche Toyohashi in 2017 which had self-serve whiskey and wine on the club lounge floor, including one bottle of fancy scotch and one bottle of a Japanese whiskey which tasted to me almost exactly the same as the scotch, although the color was fairly different.
As a Japanese whiskey lover, I'd learnt a lot in this video. Excellent job! Also, kudos to the mention of Kavalan...when I first tired it, I found it to be so beautifully made that I couldn't believe it wasn't popular! Always keep a bottle of Kavalan and Suntory Toki on my shelf. 😄
I love this video! KIller. One small thing - based on the tone, I was shocked to hear Suntory started buying companies toward the end of the video. I heard successes and failures, but didn't realize they were on the rise.
I had a bottle of Hibiki without knowing anything about the history of Japanese or Suntory whiskys. It was quite good. A bit on the light side for me (I prefer heavier, peat-smoky, single-malt whiskys) but there was something about the Hibiki that made it very good.
I'm more of a Japanese Sake and Beers man but when I get a chance I'll try to get the whisky to try it out. I just have been avoiding liquor but a once in a while occasion is not bad. Great video, thank you.
James Bond's words in "You Only Live Twice" were apparently based on Ian Fleming's bad experience with the Japanese whiskies, which did taste anything but whisky regardless of brand up to the 1990's. It is beyond belief that both Suntory and Nikka are the regular winners at the whisky contest held in Edinburgh these days.
Bought a bottle of Suntory on a whim a couple years back out of curiosity. It now has a permanent home in my cabinet, and my favorite whiskey under $50/bottle.
I bought a bottle of Fuji-Sanroku 18 for like 30000 yen. I held onto it for a while, and opened it when a friend got engaged. Best whiskey I'd ever had. I went back a couple years later to buy it again, and I only found a bottle in 2 shops, one selling it for 90000 yen, and one guy selling it for 52000. I tried to find stuff to buy once the yen hit 150/USD a couple months back and, man, they priced that exchange rate dip in QUICK.
As an American, I find it absolutely hilarious that the most "popular" bourbon is produced by a company that is owned by a Japanese holding company. Oh the irony.
Just tried the hakashu 18 year the other day and it was phenomenal. I know spirits/beer/wine/cocktails etc., but I'm not expert in any including whiskey. But as someone I think it says something that without deep knowledge I was still floored.
The forced reopening of Japan by the USA, is always portrayed as a first and a positive…it was neither, the Portuguese traded with Japan from 1514, the Spanish , English and Dutch followed. The Dutch were trading from Nagasaki continuously, including at the time the USA military ‘opened’ Japan
As an Irish/Scottish Canadian, I know my whiskey/whisky. The Gaelic pronunciation would sound like "Whooska Bet". Whisky is made in Scotland, Canada and Japan whereas whiskey is made in Ireland and the United States. If the country name has an "e", so does its whiskey. (Bonus to the Japanese for getting their English spelling correct. The English and the Celts do horrible things to the Latin Alphabet.) The similar geologies of northern Japan and the British Isles bodes well for the production of high quality whisky.
I think that alcohol connects market forces with physics, especially energy. Invention of alcoholic beverages often came with some failure to preserve excess yields of whatever crops certain civilization was cultivating at the time. After the invention of distillation process it has become quite easy to preserve any ammount of excess crop yield farmer get from plenteus year. In a way it preserves all the sun energy, you as a farmer have collected in form of carbohydrates (mostly starch), inside grains (or sugar cane in case you prefer rum) you were growing. Weird part of it is when ethanol meets people and it creates unhealthy market, especially after those fruitful years when most people have less work to do. I think that this bust and boom nature of our economy comes mostly from global events like climate patterns and such, our behavioural feedback (like with irresponsible consumption of harmful beverages across the whole society) is secondary. During economic crysises alcohol often becomes very liquid currency, but during prosperous years it is only profitable as a luxury product. It is somewhat similar to the idea that crypto currencies are just an arbitrage of electricity, from the pespective that alcoholic beverages are just an arbitrage of sunny weather, or to put is simply, those plentiful years for the farmers. It is now more clear when you add biofuel market and photovoltaics to the equation. P.S. I'm more familiar with the taiwanese Suntour company, Suntory sounds just odd to me.
I’ve been getting Japanese whiskey brand and distributor ads recently. I have no idea why. I’m 17, but I can’t be the only one getting ads like these out of the blue
Thanks for the interesting video. My exposure to Suntory has been their green tea drinks. Both times I've visited Japan I've gotten their Ocha from Konbinis in both Tokyo and Kyoto, I didn't know they owned Boss Coffee, which I've seen in numerous vending machines as well.
It's a bit misleading to say Japan already had its own alcohol, "sake". Since "sake" just means alcohol in Japanese and there are several traditional Japanese alcoholic drinks. The one we call "sake" in English is actually called "nihonshu". Sake/nihonshu is a brewed drink, not a distilled one. For a traditional Japanese distilled drink, "shochu" and "awamori" are more in the same realm as whisky but are sadly unknown in the west.
Some years ago, in a tasting event, I tried a whisky called Enso, which I found really good. I bought a bottle and took it home. Some weeks after, I opened it for an special occasion and had quite a bit of it and it gave me THE WORST hangover that I ever had in my life. Nothing has ever been close to that horrible feeling and I have tried all types of liquors. Since then, I stay away from Japanese whiskey no matter how good they taste. Enso: highly recommended, but in small doses
@@biglebowski58 In the web of Master of Malt you can find it as Enso Japanese Whisky. It has a black label with a red circle (enso means circle apparently). Give it a shot!
@@sirbatracius I’m Japanese. I find Enso in the Master of Malt. But I couldn’t find it in Japanese web. And also the word of Enso sounds like Japanese but I can’t understand the meaning. I suppose this is not Japanese whisky, but fake one. 2019, Japan Spirits Liqueurs Associatior rules and regulations set out matters relating to the labeling of whisky. You can easily find which whisky is real one. I hope you’ll enjoy another real Japanese whiskey and love it.
As a novice drinker, I was pointed in the direction of the Hibiki Suntory whiskey and it is, easily, the best whiskey I have had to date. It puts higher volume options in Canada to shame and is easily worth its price tag.
You should give Shinju a try. I’m not a spirit drinker really, but after working at a liquor outlet and getting the opportunity to try a few things…I’ll have to say that Shinju is one to try. It’s incredibly smooth, but ever since that, I’m looking to try other Japanese spirits.
Great video. I was just recently in Sapporo, mulling what local souvenir to bring, didn't know Nikka was such a storied brand. Are you going to do a Kavalan video next?
It's kind of funny. I didn't realize that Japanese whiskey was gaining prominence until Kavalan started winning awards. Then it was like, BAM, all these Japanese 12 and 21 year old whiskies were suddenly the hottest thing. My GF at the time just straight up gave me a bottle of Hibiki 12 to give to friends because she didn't drink whiskey, and neither of us thought anything of it at the time. 2 years later, that stuff wasn't even available for sale.
Nice job but you forgot a massive watershed moment for Suntory and Japanese whiskey. In 2015, Jim Murray in his Whisky Bible, a highly regarded ranking of fine global whisky, ranked the best whisky in the world as “near indescribable genius” scoring it an almost perfect 97.5 marks out of 100. It was the Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013. This is the single expression that propels the Yamazaki brand and Japanese Whisky to fame. Bottles that originally sold for $120 are now fetching $10,000. This ranking really allowed for an incredible, as of this post, almost 10 yr meteoric rise, gaining a major foothold in the industry and worldwide appreciation.
I used to be able to buy Hibiki 12 year at liquor stores in Japan for about 40$, but after say 2015 the price shot way up due to demand. I was told Chinese were buying it all
Fair play to you, you got me to google "king lebron james IV of scotland" knowing full god damn well that could not be a thing. It popped up in suggested, so I'm not the first one by far, lmao.
Skip the waitlist and invest in blue-chip art for the very first time by signing up for Masterworks 🖼: masterworks.art/asianometry
Your comment will get a thumbs down for promoting this kind of crap. (yes, I realize sponsorship is important)
Maybe "Established Titles" (the same thieves) would have been a better tie-in with the Scottish opening of this vid.
Japanese whisky has its own profile and I've enjoyed when I had the opportunity.
nice balancivg of east/west history
Stop supporting scams.
Yeah, I love your channel, but masterworks and established titles are scams
Artwork collecting has all the markings of a bubble....greater fools and all that.
I work for suntory and often give "the history of japanese whisky" talk, you did a fantastic job and I even learned a few things I didn't know. Well done.
Excellent video! Glad you included Taketsuru and his wife in your research. An "asadora" that dramatized Taketsuru's contributions to Nikka Whiskey (now part of Asahi, rival to Suntory) was broadcast by NHK over a 6 month period in 2014 and 2015 and it was a HUUUGE TV hit in Japan. That drama raised awareness even in Japan of the high quality whiskeys made both by Suntory and Nikka. As you mentioned, in Suntory's early days, Taketsuru decided to go independent from Suntory, but the Suntory president was very generous and even invested in Taketsuru's next endeavor. The TV drama really made high end Nikka and Suntory whiskeys very hard to find in Japan because they were continually selling out. Rita, who was Scottish, endured tremendous challenges during the war years because she was seen as an enemy but she stuck with Taketsuru until her death in Japan in 1961. As some commented below, if you can find a gal like Rita to be your wife, you will be a very lucky guy. Taketsuru would not have succeeded without her support.
Thanks for the info
I saw a lot of that and then later looked up the real life Scottish lady. In the "asa-dora" she is presented almost as the Japanese ideal of an innocent Edwardian/ foreign/American lady, wearing dress that Japanese would be familiar with from Little House on the Prairie. In photos she is shown wearing the dress of a sophisticated, educated 1920s woman. It is funny how even recent history is altered to meet modern stereotypes.
Here in Japan, ハイボール _(haibouru)_ means specifically a whiskey soda, rather than having the more general meaning that it does in English. The general meaning is known, however; shouchu mixed with a mixer is called a "chu-hi," which is said to be short for "shouchu highball."
I'd not known that Suntory bought Jim Beam. That explains why Jim Beam highballs, specifically, are now so widely advertised in bars and restaurants here, about as often as Suntory whisky highballs now.
Globalization. Making even Nippon more global. Sorry for the crappy American whiskey😢
@@JamesDecker7 I prefer rye, but bourbon will do in a pinch, and Jim Beam is ok.
@@JamesDecker7 speak for yourself i like american whiskey
@@leo42062 so do I but Jim Beam is absolute basic mix OR at higher/better levels is overpriced and always seems to have a better price/taste contender. And since like all “taste” stuff it is highly subjective, I think it’s awesome that you like what you like. My best friend LOVES Ardbeg and I think it is TRASH. 🤷♂️
Once at a conference in Tokyo I got a Suntory highball from the bar on the penthouse floor of a skyscraper, and after that became a fan of that drink for life.
Everyone should have a person like Rita in their lives. I hope I will
Alternatively, you can be the Rita to someone! Also a great outcome.
@@szurketaltos2693 I'm the rita to someone, ain't seen my family in 6 years thanks to it and they're 10,000 miles away 🥃to rita, ain't an easy thing to do
shamefur dispray!
@@Dr.W.Krueger lack a discipline
Great overview! Glad you mentioned the importance of Lost in Translation- it’s absolutely the first thing I think of when I hear “suntory whiskey”!
Slight correction: Suntory's original location was in the Nishi district of Osaka, not Nishi-Shinjuku in Tokyo. Torii wanted the distillery closer to major cities like Osaka and Tokyo because it took like three days to get to Hokkaido back then.
I love the probably apocryphal story that because the shape of the still is so important to the taste of the final product, early Japanese producers replicated the shape of the macallan stills down to the dents.
I just wish I could still afford any Japanese whisky - prices have risen five-fold since I started drinking it 15 years ago. Yamazaki 18 is one of my all time favourites - it consistently came top in our blind tests.
The 12 isn’t too bad right now. I’ve only ever tried 18 at a whiskey bar. Can’t pay 1k for a bottle😢. And can only dream of some old pappy…
I remember getting a bottle of the 12 for 50 bucks back in 2011 or 2012, then just a few years later seeing it go for over 200. Wild.
@@atomic_wait currently having this problem here in cali. Most retailers want $300 so when I see it at $149 I usually grab a bottle or two
The problem of japanese whisky now, is that it's too expensive for what it is.
It's not a miracle product, it's not worth anything to me when it's bested by whisky that's less than half the price. Very much like mcallan and few other scotch distillers.
I don't think the high price is because of increases in listed prices, but because of greedy gray marketeers hoarding the limited supplies and profiting from it.
The court of king lebron james of Scotland?
A HARMLESS JOKE MY FRIEND
🤣🤣🤣 hilarious
That's Lebron James THE FOURTH of Scotland to you!
😆All jacked up on whiskey and sugar and everyone in the room has a sword.
Sounds very Scottish
🤣
What a great video! I lived in Yoichi, Hokkaido from 2014 - 2017 and the Nikka Whiskey distillery played a big part in the local community. This video was a lovely trip down memory lane, thanks!
Never ever imagined that Asianometry will anytime make a video about... Whiskey. The breadth of topics covered by this channel will never stop to surprise me.
hey, you pay me for something I'll do it; you want me to have sex with Donald Trump, I'll do it, that is what you are dealing with :(
I have a vague memory of watching an episode of 60 Minutes, news show in the United States in the 1980s. Talking about Japanese whiskey, back when everyone was afraid of Japan, they got some alleged experts together and blind taste test, and Japanese whiskey against authentic scotch. As I recall, a lot of them, seem to have trouble telling the difference.
That’s true of a lot of products: very little difference from “ok” to “great” with much of it being perceived/placebo which is lost when the testing is blind.
@@JamesDecker7 Especially products that taste like flavored rubbing alcohol. Don't get me wrong, I've gotten used to the taste of alcohol and enjoy it. But I imagine it still harms your ability to distinguish flavors even once you learn to "like" the taste.
@@TheSpecialJ11 You can taste whiskey a lot better by adding a splash of water. This should release a lot of the floral tastes. There is a scientific reason for this as well, something to do with the solvability of the chemicals.
The Suntory whiskey for the salaryman was not great in the 1980s and 1990s - that is the stuff that was supposed to be served with ice and water. Actually, I found it pretty poor.
@@nahimgudfam Not with the Japanese stuff in the 1980s/1909s. Actually thought it made it worse. Particularly at the university graduation party in Japan.
If you tap in the search, Dewars White Label, you’ll find out where Suntory were coming from with their original product. You’ll also notice that Tommy Dewar introduced the ‘high ball’ to New York. In the UK this drink is a ‘scotch and soda’ you add as much or as little soda as you like…and have it with or without lemon. As a 2:1 mix soda to scotch, it, along with gin and tonic, became the classic drink across the clubs and bars of the British Empire. It’s a favourite amongst my Indian friends. It’s probably the only way to drink Bells, in fact it’s so closely associated with Bells, that Bells & soda is synonymous 😁
13:20 Oh my god, it's that scene from An Autumn Afternoon! I love that movie, I even have part of that clip uploaded on my channel, I'm really glad you showed it.
By pure coincidence I've just finished reading You Only Live Twice, and was really taken by Fleming's description of Japanese food and drink. Will have to get some Japanese Whisky to try.
Nikka is good
@@hdnhomodigitalisnetwork7244 Nikka is fantastic, the high end product at least.
Our host was talking about the ornithologist, not the spy. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Bond_%28ornithologist%29
日本人でも知らない貴重な資料を紹介していただきありがとうございます。
I remember a Suntory commercial in the 70s in the Philippines: " Suntory, Suntory Red Whiskey, De Qalidad!"
Hello you have been selected among my lucky winners DM via the above name on telegram to claim your prize 🌲 🎁🎄.
I don't think we can underestimate the profound affect that the noted American actor Bob Harris had on Suntory's fortune with the ad campaign that contained the legendary phrase, "For relaxing times, make it Suntory time."
Different than all the recent videos on technology, but interesting nonetheless.
I love his non-semiconductor vids a bit more tbh
The 24-edged bottle of Hibiki brand whiskey Suntory had a few years ago was beautiful. Very distinctive design.
Very informative video!! I think the main reason for the increased pricing of Suntory and Nikka whiskey is a huge shortage of the aged 12 years and older whiskey. Demand from China and North America also helped sales . I've heard both Suntory and Nikka now have many more casks being aged. Interestingly in 2018, I saw the Taiwan Ka La Van at Costco in California. Take care everybody.
I remember the days before before the Japanese Bubble burst.
If you are an executive or even “salaryman” you would give and receive whiskey bottles. That was the sign that you are appreciated or achieve goals. Pretty much standard etiquette in the business world over there. Or even when you worked with a Japanese company. My father was never much of alcohol drinker. So, over the years, the alcohol cabinet start to get smaller and smaller.
Even in my twenties when I started to do some traveling abroad my father used to ask me to buy one of boxes of Japanese and non Japanese whiskey.
So, only on sales of whiskey as gift, there was a tremendous market.
I really didn’t pay much attention about Japanese whiskey consumption after the Japanese economic crisis started. Kind of coincides with time that my father retired.
Part of history of how the whiskey was first produced in Japan is well know, but I never new what happened from 1970’s and beyond.
Another note. Suntory built and operated high end restaurants in major metropolitan cities in US. However, in the late 80’s or early 90’s, sadly, they closed.
I know that the one in San Francisco did, I don’t know if the on in NY did it too. Good video!
I hadn't heard of Suntory until *Lost in Translation.* And even then, I thought it might have been a fictitious brand just for the movie. It didn't take me long to discover it was very real after that. Thank you for the detailed history. Very nicely done.
Same. Easily one of my top 100 films, though not a Coppola fan overall. I learned Suntory was real when writing a paper on it, and googling it for spelling.
Suntory is big in Japan, although it’s now best known for its beers, even though historically it made whiskey much earlier than beer.
In the wake of the first Japanese whisky boom, beside the large producers like Suntory, Kirin and Nikka, a number of smaller distilleries have opened up in Japan. They have a more artisanal approach to making whisky, with many surprisingly good results. Chichibu and Mars Shinshu are my two favourites. I've been able to visit them both when they were still upcoming. Unfortunately nowadays, their bottlings are extremely difficult to get outside of Japan (unless you bring the big $$$). Then there is White oak / Eigashima which started producing whisky to have something to do during the sake-making off-season and found out there was actually an audience for their, sometimes 'weird' products. Their main lineup is at least available outside of Japan for decent prices, but not as impressive as their 'weirder' bottlings.
In recent years a third wave of distilleries is setting up shop (Akkeshi, Nagahama, Kanosuke) and Mars built a second distillery (Hombro). Nagahama must have financed their startup with releasing Amahagan world blends. I haven't been able to catch something from the other distilleries yet. Let's hope some of that stuff will actually become available.
I wanted to visit the Chichibu distillery, but they were so far outta the way, I wouldn't have been able to justify the trip, and I wasn't really able to secure a guarantee they'd be open. I have visited the Kirin distillery, and that was pretty nice, aside from the fact that they'd sold out of everything mid-tier and above.
I'm able to occasionally find bottles of Ichiro's here in the US, but I haven't tried all the stuff that I wanted to from them.
I was lucky to Pick up 1 bottle of Kansouke 2022 at the airport duty free, 59% cask strength and aged in Sherry cask, incredible delicious whiskey and I got it for a good price ¥12,000
Here in São Paulo, Brazil, from 1975 to 2005, Suntori had the country's best and most famous japanese restaurant, named Suntori. From 2005 to 2016, the same crew worked in the same place ,then named Shintori, that was still one of the better japanese restaurants
Being raised in SP, I don’t recall about a Suntory restaurant over there. But there various of their restaurants in US. Sadly they closed in the 80’s. It was a great marketing exposure for the company and a great experience. I loved it.
it was in Alameda Santos if I remeber it well
Why it closed???
@@MatheusOliveira-cw9th they've said in a news that the building (a japanese palace replica) was sold to a building company (that made an office tower or something with no visual relevance like that), so the restaurant never opened again
Yamazaki 12 years, simply a delight
This was really interesting, I love these kinds of stories, great work as always.
"Nippon and America, all the same heart" warmed my heart ❤❤❤
Thanks for this, Japanese whisky doesn’t have a great reputation with people of my generation in the U.K., but I will give it a try. I live not far from Elgin in Scotland, so there is a great tradition of manufacture around here.
I'll say that if you're a fan of particular flavor notes, Japanese whiskey is probably going to seem overrated. The two most common things I note in good Japanese whiskey variants are the smoothness and sweetness.
Also, don't buy anything from the Matsui distillers, all their stuff is carefully designed to look like the better producers, but all their whiskey is astroturfed. Just bought, blended, bottled, and marked up.
@@imightbebiased9311 I enjoy Auchentoshan, so it sounds like they might be good for me, thank you for the tips!
I love when I drink my Japanese whiskey mostly made up of whiskey not distilled in Japan
Japan pass a law last year to require the source whiskey must be make in Japan.
@@Theoryofcatsndogs All source whiskey?
@@kevinliu7186 yes. Usually the brewer will make whisky very concentrate as a source whisky. Then they will add water to whisky for final product. That is how most whiskey is 40% alcohol and some as high as 60%
@@Theoryofcatsndogs It's not a _law_ but a voluntary industry group regulation by the Japan Spirits and Liqueur Makers Association. There is no enforcement mechanism except shaming violators. Hopefully it provides a framework for the government to actually enshrine it into law with teeth in the enforcement side.
@@elixwhitetail Yes you are correct. Thanks for clarify.
Your reports are always exceptional!
04:39 This deer should be on an *Asianometry* T-shirt, as well as the beautifully stylized logo version.
Regards,
Kev
22:07 this seems to be a common theme for large Japanese companies
I stayed at the upscale Hotel Arc Riche Toyohashi in 2017 which had self-serve whiskey and wine on the club lounge floor, including one bottle of fancy scotch and one bottle of a Japanese whiskey which tasted to me almost exactly the same as the scotch, although the color was fairly different.
As a Japanese whiskey lover, I'd learnt a lot in this video. Excellent job!
Also, kudos to the mention of Kavalan...when I first tired it, I found it to be so beautifully made that I couldn't believe it wasn't popular! Always keep a bottle of Kavalan and Suntory Toki on my shelf. 😄
I love this video! KIller. One small thing - based on the tone, I was shocked to hear Suntory started buying companies toward the end of the video. I heard successes and failures, but didn't realize they were on the rise.
I actually have a Suntory Signature at home, it comes in a crystal decanter and the label has Mr. Keizo Saiji's signature on it.
How about a video about the rise and fall of HTC?
Lost In Translation honestly must have been boom for Suntory. Iconic scene.
I had a bottle of Hibiki without knowing anything about the history of Japanese or Suntory whiskys.
It was quite good. A bit on the light side for me (I prefer heavier, peat-smoky, single-malt whiskys) but there was something about the Hibiki that made it very good.
I'm more of a Japanese Sake and Beers man but when I get a chance I'll try to get the whisky to try it out. I just have been avoiding liquor but a once in a while occasion is not bad.
Great video, thank you.
The Hibiki Suntory "Japanese Harmony" whiskey, ~ $109 USD / $150 CDN is well, well, worth your time.
2:35 HE'S DUNKIN' ON THE PROTESTANTS!
Much Love from the Philippines.
James Bond's words in "You Only Live Twice" were apparently based on Ian Fleming's bad experience with the Japanese whiskies, which did taste anything but whisky regardless of brand up to the 1990's. It is beyond belief that both Suntory and Nikka are the regular winners at the whisky contest held in Edinburgh these days.
hibiki is still one of my favorites to this day easily top 3
Great video, really enjoyed
The best that I had tried so far among all other Japanese Brands is Hibiki. For those with lowest budget can go for for white oak (Akashi) whiskey.
9:00 this poster is similar to Campari adverts
Excellent video.
Good documentary. Good bit of info. Thanks.
Bought a bottle of Suntory on a whim a couple years back out of curiosity. It now has a permanent home in my cabinet, and my favorite whiskey under $50/bottle.
2:14 he's pouring A LOT of whiskey lmao
I remember Suntory Red way back in the 80's here in the Philippines
Excellent and very informative video. thank you
I hope it finally becomes
affordable. Can't believe a Hakushu 12 bottle I got for 120usd which is now 30k yen.
It's mostly Japanese taxes now )
I bought a bottle of Fuji-Sanroku 18 for like 30000 yen. I held onto it for a while, and opened it when a friend got engaged. Best whiskey I'd ever had.
I went back a couple years later to buy it again, and I only found a bottle in 2 shops, one selling it for 90000 yen, and one guy selling it for 52000. I tried to find stuff to buy once the yen hit 150/USD a couple months back and, man, they priced that exchange rate dip in QUICK.
As an American, I find it absolutely hilarious that the most "popular" bourbon is produced by a company that is owned by a Japanese holding company. Oh the irony.
I had a bottle of japanese whisky, and ngl it was really good.
Just tried the hakashu 18 year the other day and it was phenomenal. I know spirits/beer/wine/cocktails etc., but I'm not expert in any including whiskey. But as someone I think it says something that without deep knowledge I was still floored.
Very interesting. Suntory Marketing Department clearly earned their keep,.
The forced reopening of Japan by the USA, is always portrayed as a first and a positive…it was neither, the Portuguese traded with Japan from 1514, the Spanish , English and Dutch followed. The Dutch were trading from Nagasaki continuously, including at the time the USA military ‘opened’ Japan
As an Irish/Scottish Canadian, I know my whiskey/whisky. The Gaelic pronunciation would sound like "Whooska Bet".
Whisky is made in Scotland, Canada and Japan whereas whiskey is made in Ireland and the United States. If the country name has an "e", so does its whiskey. (Bonus to the Japanese for getting their English spelling correct. The English and the Celts do horrible things to the Latin Alphabet.)
The similar geologies of northern Japan and the British Isles bodes well for the production of high quality whisky.
@Purple Burglaralarm True, depending on the Gaelic dialect. Thank you for contributing the alternative pronunciation.
I'm gonna try that Suntory Whiskey Highball drink at my next bar visit.
I think that alcohol connects market forces with physics, especially energy. Invention of alcoholic beverages often came with some failure to preserve excess yields of whatever crops certain civilization was cultivating at the time. After the invention of distillation process it has become quite easy to preserve any ammount of excess crop yield farmer get from plenteus year. In a way it preserves all the sun energy, you as a farmer have collected in form of carbohydrates (mostly starch), inside grains (or sugar cane in case you prefer rum) you were growing. Weird part of it is when ethanol meets people and it creates unhealthy market, especially after those fruitful years when most people have less work to do. I think that this bust and boom nature of our economy comes mostly from global events like climate patterns and such, our behavioural feedback (like with irresponsible consumption of harmful beverages across the whole society) is secondary. During economic crysises alcohol often becomes very liquid currency, but during prosperous years it is only profitable as a luxury product. It is somewhat similar to the idea that crypto currencies are just an arbitrage of electricity, from the pespective that alcoholic beverages are just an arbitrage of sunny weather, or to put is simply, those plentiful years for the farmers. It is now more clear when you add biofuel market and photovoltaics to the equation.
P.S. I'm more familiar with the taiwanese Suntour company, Suntory sounds just odd to me.
An excellent overview, thank you kindly ))
I saw the title of this video and it reminded me of Lost in Translation and Suntory Time.
King Lebron James of Scotland... James Bond - orthinologist. Love your sense of humour man!
It would be nice to have a similar video about the rise of taiwanese whisky. I personally love it.
That was quite interesting and your research is appreciated.
I've started seeing Kavalan whisky for sale here in the USA! It's good stuff.
Great video thank you! Would be great to learn more about Japanese Shochu and Korean Soju history next!?
It’s me guys. I’m the reason Suntory is doing so well in America right now.
The whiskey goes down so smooth. Too smooth 😅
I’ve been getting Japanese whiskey brand and distributor ads recently. I have no idea why. I’m 17, but I can’t be the only one getting ads like these out of the blue
Impressive analysis!!!!!!
There's a small bottle of Japanese whisky in my local shop. It's priced at $400. Crazy. Top-shelf Scottish whisky costs about one-third of that price.
Thanks for the interesting video. My exposure to Suntory has been their green tea drinks. Both times I've visited Japan I've gotten their Ocha from Konbinis in both Tokyo and Kyoto, I didn't know they owned Boss Coffee, which I've seen in numerous vending machines as well.
Awesome video thanks!
It's a bit misleading to say Japan already had its own alcohol, "sake". Since "sake" just means alcohol in Japanese and there are several traditional Japanese alcoholic drinks. The one we call "sake" in English is actually called "nihonshu". Sake/nihonshu is a brewed drink, not a distilled one. For a traditional Japanese distilled drink, "shochu" and "awamori" are more in the same realm as whisky but are sadly unknown in the west.
Some years ago, in a tasting event, I tried a whisky called Enso, which I found really good. I bought a bottle and took it home. Some weeks after, I opened it for an special occasion and had quite a bit of it and it gave me THE WORST hangover that I ever had in my life. Nothing has ever been close to that horrible feeling and I have tried all types of liquors. Since then, I stay away from Japanese whiskey no matter how good they taste. Enso: highly recommended, but in small doses
I googled Enso. But nothing I can find about that name Japanese whiskey.
@@biglebowski58 In the web of Master of Malt you can find it as Enso Japanese Whisky. It has a black label with a red circle (enso means circle apparently). Give it a shot!
@@sirbatracius I’m Japanese. I find Enso in the Master of Malt. But I couldn’t find it in Japanese web. And also the word of Enso sounds like Japanese but I can’t understand the meaning.
I suppose this is not Japanese whisky, but fake one.
2019, Japan Spirits Liqueurs Associatior rules and regulations set out matters relating to the labeling of whisky.
You can easily find which whisky is real one.
I hope you’ll enjoy another real Japanese whiskey and love it.
As a novice drinker, I was pointed in the direction of the Hibiki Suntory whiskey and it is, easily, the best whiskey I have had to date. It puts higher volume options in Canada to shame and is easily worth its price tag.
You should give Shinju a try. I’m not a spirit drinker really, but after working at a liquor outlet and getting the opportunity to try a few things…I’ll have to say that Shinju is one to try.
It’s incredibly smooth, but ever since that, I’m looking to try other Japanese spirits.
Very instructive video.
Yooo Liquor Discount House @17:58. Talk about backyard famous
So, how is named the second whiskey from right?? I have this bottle fore some time and I don’t know what it is!!
"Smash cut" - now that's how I like my history!
awesome sir, your videos are mind-blowingly informative, thoughtful and make my day
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Orthinologist James Bond.. king lebron James of Scotland.. there’s some great quips in this!
Friend Matthew Perry was pretty big in Japan.
Times Square ads don't have much reach, they're merely a status symbol.
it beats the scotts and irish every time
I was half paying attention to the first few minutes, but I got the gist of it. Kobe Bryant invented whiskey and David Schwimmer brought it to Japan.
Great video. I was just recently in Sapporo, mulling what local souvenir to bring, didn't know Nikka was such a storied brand. Are you going to do a Kavalan video next?
It's kind of funny. I didn't realize that Japanese whiskey was gaining prominence until Kavalan started winning awards. Then it was like, BAM, all these Japanese 12 and 21 year old whiskies were suddenly the hottest thing. My GF at the time just straight up gave me a bottle of Hibiki 12 to give to friends because she didn't drink whiskey, and neither of us thought anything of it at the time. 2 years later, that stuff wasn't even available for sale.
Nice job but you forgot a massive watershed moment for Suntory and Japanese whiskey. In 2015, Jim Murray in his Whisky Bible, a highly regarded ranking of fine global whisky, ranked the best whisky in the world as “near indescribable genius” scoring it an almost perfect 97.5 marks out of 100. It was the Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013. This is the single expression that propels the Yamazaki brand and Japanese Whisky to fame. Bottles that originally sold for $120 are now fetching $10,000. This ranking really allowed for an incredible, as of this post, almost 10 yr meteoric rise, gaining a major foothold in the industry and worldwide appreciation.
Could we have heard a little more about the Nikka and the other Japanese whiskey companies? Not just Suntory?
At 14:53 the blue can Kin-Mugi 金麦 is not beer. It is made to avoid the tax as beer and to taste like beer. It is categorized as Happosyu 発泡酒.
I’d say it’s fallen yet again. It rose like 3-4 years ago where I live.
Well it does seperate what worth trying from the trash. But harmony still cost too much.
Lol this reminds me of that Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson movie, you know the title... 😆
Now I want some BOSS coffee. Purchasing drinks from Japanese vending machines us rarely dull.
I used to be able to buy Hibiki 12 year at liquor stores in Japan for about 40$, but after say 2015 the price shot way up due to demand. I was told Chinese were buying it all
"For relaxing times, make it Suntory time." (Bill Murray; Lost in Translation)
Fair play to you, you got me to google "king lebron james IV of scotland" knowing full god damn well that could not be a thing. It popped up in suggested, so I'm not the first one by far, lmao.
“For Relaxing Times, Make it Suntory Time.”....ask at the bar for Hibiki 17, enjoy!!!
I was a part of that "sho-chu" boom. Peace n Oolong Hai Y'all!. I'm òut!