Suntory has confirmed plans to invest in two of its whisky distilleries in Japan, having recently increased its warehousing capacity in the country by 50%.
The Japanese group, which owns Beam Suntory as well as its own spirits business, will spend JPY10bn [US$76.2m] on the Hakushu and Yamazaki facilities in the country. The spend will go towards introducing floor malting capabilities at both distilleries, while the Hakushu site will also house yeast-cultivation operations.
The pair will also benefit from improved visitor “experiences” that will reopen towards the end of this year.
When contacted by Global Drinks Intel, a spokesperson said: “In terms of storage capacity, we expect an increase of more than 50% by the end of 2022 [in Japan] compared to 2016, as we enhanced storage facilities.
“Our investment this time is more a challenge to deliver even higher quality products.”
As well as offering their namesake single malts, Hakushu and Yamazaki both feature in Ao, Beam Suntory’s multi-sourced whisky brand that last month extended its presence to four more markets.
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