［Food & Beverages domain］
Kirin Brewery Master Blender Jota Tanaka Inducted Into The Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame
- Products and Services
April 27, 2022
Kirin Brewery Company, Limited
TOKYO, April 27, 2022 - Kirin Brewery Company, Limited’s (Kirin Brewery) Master Blender Jota Tanaka has been inducted into Whisky Magazine(https://whiskymag.com)’s Hall of Fame, organized by the world's leading whisky magazine. The induction ceremony was held on March 24 in London, England. Jota Tanaka is the fourth Japanese inductee into the Hall of Fame.
The accolade is given to individuals who have made “a lasting contribution to the whisky world.” The prestigious Hall of Fame is “the highest accolade the magazine can bestow and is our permanent tribute honouring individuals who have made a lasting contribution to the whisky world.”
The organizers commended Mr. Tanaka for being a pioneer, innovator, and driving force behind transforming Japanese whisky as a leading authority on whisky blending.
Recent whiskies produced under Jota Tanaka’s supervision include KIRIN WHISKY RIKU, released in Japan on April 5, and KIRIN SINGLE BLENDED JAPANESE WHISKY FUJI, which will be released in Japan on June 7.
About Jota Tanaka
Born in Kyoto, Japan, in 1962, he joined Kirin Brewery in 1988, worked at a winery in Napa Valley, California, in 1989, and then completed a master's degree in Food Science at the University of California, Davis. He served as Director of Quality at Four Roses Distillery, Kentucky, for seven years from 2002. After returning to Japan in 2009, he was appointed as Chief Blender for Kirin Whisky in 2010, then as Master Blender in 2017, only the second person to hold that post in 50 years of its history. He was named ‘Master Distiller / Master Blender of the Year’ at the Icons of Whisky (IOW) 2017(https://iconsofwhisky.com/2017/10/05/icons-of-whisky-2017-winners/).
Comments from the Organizer
“A pioneer for more than 20 years, Jota has contributed to the transformation of the image, and authority, of Japanese whisky around the world. His knowledge of blending is unparalleled, and his grasp of flavour is reflected in the extraordinary whiskies he produces in the foothills of Mount Fuji. He continues to drive the category, both with the brands he develops for Kirin and in setting the crucial standards in Japanese whisky labelling, and reliably informs us there is plenty more innovation to come.”
Jota Tanaka’s Comments upon Receiving the Award
“I am privileged and humbled to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. I will continue to devote myself to making whisky loved by people all over the world, and at the same time, I will strive to further develop the industry and evangelize the appeal of whisky. Thank you very much.”
Reference: Recent Jota Tanaka-produced Products
| 1. Product name | Kirin Single Grain Japanese Whiskey Fuji |
|---|---|
| 2. Product launch date | April 2022 |
| 3. Sales area | China, Australia |
| 4. Volume/container | 700ml / bottle |
| 5. Alcohol content | 46% |
| 6. Distilled at | Mt. Fuji Distillery |
| 7. Retail price | China: around 680 RMB Australia: around 149 AUD |
| 8. Estimated sales volume(2022) | China: approx. 470 cases *9L equivalent Australia: approx. 750 cases* 9L equivalent |
| 1. Product name | KIRIN WHISKEY RIKU |
|---|---|
| 2. Product launch date | April 5, 2022 |
| 3. Sold at | Restaurants and merchandisers throughout Japan |
| 4. Volume/container | 500ml bottle / 4000ml PET bottle |
| 5. Alcohol content | 50% |
| 6. Distilled at | Mt. Fuji Distillery |
| 7. Retail Price | Discretionary (variable by store) |
| 1. Product name | KIRIN SINGLE BLENDED JAPANESE WHISKY FUJI |
|---|---|
| 2. Product launch date | June 7, 2022 |
| 3. Sold at | Restaurants and merchandisers throughout Japan Kirin Online Shop DRINX (https://drinx.kirin.co.jp/) |
| 4. Volume/container | 700ml / bottle |
| 5. Alcohol content | 43% |
| 6. Distilled at | Mt. Fuji Distillery |
| 7. Retail price | 6,000 JPY (excluding tax) *DRINX price |
About Kirin Holdings
Kirin Holdings Company, Limited is an international company that operates in the Food & Beverages domain (Food & Beverages businesses), Pharmaceuticals domain (Pharmaceuticals businesses), and Health Science domain (Health Science business), both in Japan and across the globe.
Kirin Holdings can trace its roots to Japan Brewery which was established in 1885. Japan Brewery became Kirin Brewery in 1907. Since then, the company expanded its business with fermentation and biotechnology as its core technologies, and entered the pharmaceutical business in the 1980s, all of which continue to be global growth centers. In 2007, Kirin Holdings was established as a pure holding company and is currently focusing on boosting its Health Science domain.
Under the Kirin Group Vision 2027 (KV 2027), a long-term management plan launched in 2019, the Kirin Group aims to become “A global leader in CSV*, creating value across our world of Food & Beverages to Pharmaceuticals.” Going forward, the Kirin Group will continue to leverage its strengths to create both social and economic value through its businesses, with the aim of achieving sustainable growth in corporate value.
*: Creating Shared Value. Combined added value for consumers as well as for society at large.
