“Nikka turns off the tap on aged Taketsuru whisky” The Nikkei Asian Review Reports – Japanese Whisky News
Nikka Whisky Distilling’s Yoichi distillery in Hokkaido: The company is already limiting shipments as supply dwindles. (Photo by Takeru Goto)
Dwindling stock forces Japanese distillers to squeeze shipments
TOKYO — Nikka Whisky Distilling’s last aged products on the market will soon vanish from shelves as surging demand for Japanese whisky dries up casks across the nation.
Taketsuru 25 Years Old (Photo courtesy of Nikka Whisky Distilling)
The Asahi Group Holdings unit discontinued age-statement Yoichi and Miyagikyo single malts in 2015 because of short supply. Whiskies need to be aged for years before bottling, meaning that producers are now working off stock made when demand for Japanese whisky was much lower.
Nikka is also limiting shipments of non-age-statement Yoichi, Miyagikyo and Taketsuru, and is investing to expand production capacity for future years.
Suntory Holdings, another leading Japanese producer, has discontinued Hibiki 17 Years Old and now sells a limited range and quantity of age-statement whiskies. Kirin Holdings is only selling a portion of its offerings through limited channels.
