WINE

THE YAMAZAKI DISTILLERY WITH A 100-YEAR HISTORY 用日本人的手，打造世界級日本威士忌 走過一個世紀的山崎蒸餾所

Text / 唐維怡 Eva Tang Photo / Finest and Rarest Wines of Ravenel.Suntory Website

日本國產威士忌的起點－山崎蒸餾所的誕生

日本國產威士忌的歷史，與山崎蒸餾所緊緊相連，而要探究 山崎蒸餾所，就必定要提到出生於 1876 年的鳥井信治郎。

在明治維新的推動下，十九世紀末的日本洋溢著繁榮的氣 息，年僅 13 歲的鳥井信治郎來到日本第一批販售進口洋酒的藥 店 -- 小西儀助商店打工，在這間頗為時髦前衛的店裡，鳥井信 治郎接觸到了葡萄酒、威士忌等各類洋酒，也培養了對市場變動 的敏銳度，很快地，鳥井信治郎在 1899 年自立門戶，創立了「鳥 井商店」，隨後更名為「壽屋」，成為如今龐大的三得利集團的 前身。

有著多年洋酒販售經驗的鳥井信治郎很快發現儘管市場充 斥著洋酒，但酸澀的葡萄酒與有著強烈酒精感的西方烈酒並未真 正獲得日本人的喜愛，實際銷量並不好，因此在經過一連串的研 究與嘗試後，在 1907 年推出了符合日本人喜愛甘甜味蕾的甜味 果實酒「赤玉スイートワイン」，更在民風保守的當時大膽地請 到女演員松島栄美子拍攝裸體海報作為宣傳，這款波特紅酒的推 出果然受到各個年齡層消費者的喜愛，一舉搶佔日本葡萄酒超過 60% 的市場份額。

赤玉的成功絕非偶然，鳥井信治郎從這時就已意識到純粹引 進或是教育消費者並非市場上上策，創造出屬於日本本土喜愛的 風味才是自己要做的，更重要的是，他從二十多歲的這時就展現 出現代企業家的視野，認知到行銷的至關重要。 赤玉的成功，讓鳥井信治郎充滿信心地開始了烈酒領域的嘗 試，一開始以食用酒精加入色素和香料調製而成的仿製酒銷量不 差，但鳥井信治郎並不滿足，他開始嘗試將酒精放入葡萄酒桶做 為調和，意外對橡木桶陳放多年後風味上的轉變大感驚喜，1919 年壽屋推出酒精濃度 37% 的 Torys ( トリス ) 威士忌，儘管以果 實酒為基礎的 Torys 就如今的規範來說無法被視為威士忌，不過 輕柔甜美的口感一上市即獲得市場好評。

儘管其後推出的瓶裝威士忌加蘇打水 Whistan 並未如預期 地受到歡迎，對市場脈動敏銳的鳥井信治郎從消費者對 Torys 和 Whistan 的反差反應，看到了「真正的威士忌」市場的存在可能。 然而，要生產真正的威士忌，除了需要各種蒸餾製酒設備，也需 要掌握製酒技術的專家，而此時，被譽為日本威士忌之父的竹鶴 政孝恰巧於 1920 年 11 月回到日本。

原先受到攝津酒造社長賞識的竹鶴政孝，於 1918 年前往蘇 格蘭取經，1919 年至 Longmorn 酒廠擔任學徒，正當學成歸國 要大展拳腳之際，卻遭逢日本經濟蕭條，攝津酒造的國產威士忌 計劃被迫終止。有志難伸的竹鶴政孝與積極在日本發展真正威士 忌的鳥井信治郎一拍即合，兩人於 1923 年 6 月簽下 10 年之約， 並迅速於同年 10 月 1 日買下位於京都與大阪交界處的土地。在 投入一年多的時間與兩百萬日圓的鉅資後，山崎蒸餾所正式於 1924 年 11 月 11 日上午 11 點 11 分啟動，從按照竹鶴筆記在日 本製造的罐式蒸餾器中，日本國產麥芽威士忌於焉誕生。

然而，兩人眼中「真正的威士忌」的打造並不順遂，1925 年產季 結束之際，鳥井信治郎再次將竹鶴政孝送回蘇格蘭 Hazelburn 酒廠進行 進修，做為企業經營者的鳥井信治郎只能在這段時間內開發咖哩粉、潔 牙粉、醬油、胡椒、茶葉等各式各樣的產品，以支撐酒廠龐大的支出。 1929 年 4 月，山崎蒸餾所的第一款威士忌「サントリー (Suntory) 白札」 問世，然而，白札強烈的泥煤煙燻風味並未如兩人想像中地得到市場的 青睞，嚴重的滯銷讓鳥井信治郎判定當時的日本市場尚無法接受道地的 蘇格蘭風味，因此修正了目標，開始致力於發展更符合東方人口感、擁 有日本在地風情的威士忌。而這恰恰與忠於蘇格蘭風味的竹鶴在理念上 背道而馳，於是在合約屆滿十年之期的 1934 年，竹鶴揮別壽屋，在北 海道建立了余市蒸餾所，同年七月成立「大日本果汁株式會社」。鳥井 信治郎與竹鶴政孝的分道揚鑣，造就了今日雄踞日本威士忌半壁江山 的兩大巨頭—三得利株式會社 (Suntory) 與日果威士忌株式會社 (Nikka Whisky)，也讓日本威士忌在兩種截然不同角度的詮釋下，迸發出今日 多元又獨特的樣貌。

1937 年，佔據日本國產威士忌歷史重要地位的「角瓶」面市，十 多年的橡木桶陳年為酒液帶來濃郁深邃的氣息與優雅纖細的口感，在東 京約有 1300 家酒吧的當時，角瓶的推出獲得空前的成功。然而，對「真 正的威士忌」的執著讓鳥井信治郎並未止步於此，戰爭與二戰後期的市 場亂象也未能讓他放棄創造能媲美蘇格蘭威士忌、擁抱在地風情的日本 國產威士忌。

◀ 對細節從不馬虎的山崎酒廠深信橡木桶是孕育高品質威士忌的關鍵，多年前便打造了 屬於自己的木桶工廠，並不斷地實驗各種可能，第一任的首席調酒師鳴海欽一在位期 間，便已開始進行水楢桶的嘗試；第三任首席調酒師 富孝一任職期間，負責桶材研究 的松山隆一特別針對水楢桶進行了一系列的觀察與研究，山崎酒廠這才開始對水楢酒桶 的運用更加得心應手。

佐治敬三 (Keizo Saji) 更承襲了父親的信念和企業經營手法，認為 壽屋賣的不僅僅只是產品，更是「產品當代的生活型態」，在兼顧生產 品質的同時，運用行銷的力量讓品牌深植人心，壽屋於 1950 年代中期 在日本各地開設了 35,000 間品牌酒吧，致力推廣 Torys 與 Suntory，於 1956 年推出 < 洋酒天國 > 雜誌作為宣傳，1961 年更推出「喝 Torys． 遊夏威夷」的夢想活動廣告宣傳，一下子抓住了所有消費者內心對美 好生活的嚮往。

佐治敬三更進一步與公司初代首席調酒師佐藤乾一同針對日本人 的味蕾結構進行詳細的研究，鳥井信治郎則根據這份報告的調查結果， 於 1960 年 5 月推出了「サントリーローヤル (Suntory Royal)」。命名 Royal 是因為鳥井信治郎相信這正是他所追求的極致完美，擁抱了日本 人對美味的理解和一切期待，代表壽屋正式做出與進口威士忌不相上 下的國產威士忌。終於實現夢想的鳥井信治郎於是在 1961 年正式將壽 屋經營權交棒給兒子佐治敬三。壽屋也於 1967 年正式更名為三得利株 式會社 ( サントリー )。

1971 年 6 月，日本政府宣佈全面採用外部經濟措施，預期國產威 士忌若不能在品質上有所突破，競爭優勢將不再。因此三得利集團於 1972 年興建了白州蒸餾廠，以提供集團調和酒更豐富的元素。

單一麥芽威士忌的誕生

時序很快地來到關鍵的 1984 年，儘管遭逢自由貿易下進口關稅大 幅降低的洋酒打壓、以及八零年代歐美白色烈酒革命引發的燒酎熱潮 擠壓市場，於這一年歡慶山崎蒸餾廠建廠六十週年的三得利仍決定推 出成本和單價都更高的單一麥芽威士忌，在與首席調解師佐藤乾花了 超過兩年時間研發，信心滿滿的佐治敬三將此純麥威士忌以蒸餾廠同 名「山崎」作為命名，1984 年 3 月推出時酒標上並未標示酒齡，到了 1986 年才正式改為「山崎 12 年」。單一麥芽威士忌的誕生，昭示著 日本國產威士忌的重大突破。然而，現在看來不得了的突破，靠的卻 僅是酒廠對理想的堅持，一部分因為日本政府對威士忌不友善的課稅 制度導致威士忌內需市場不斷萎縮，整體國產威士忌的消費量在 2001 年已下滑到 1983 年的三分之一；另一方面，此時的日本市場實際上還 未做好接受單一麥芽威士忌的準備，相較於充滿個性、口感飽滿的單 一麥芽威士忌，市場偏好的仍然是輕柔順口的低價位威士忌。然而， 儘管單一麥芽威士忌占整體銷售量極低，三得利仍然秉持著鳥井信治 郎「用日本人的手，打造世界級日本威士忌」的信念，持續在單一麥 芽威士忌的道路上匍匐前進，除了山崎 12 年外，又陸續於 1992 年至 1998 年推出「山崎 18 年」、「山崎 10 年」與「山崎 25 年」。

▲ 大膽以女演員松島栄美子拍攝裸體海報作為宣傳的甜味果實酒「赤玉スイートワイン」 The sweet and fruity "Akadama Sweet Wine" was advertised by a nude poster featuring actress Matsushima Emiko.

國際市場的認可

幸運的是，余市 10 年與響 21 年在 2001 年英國威士忌雜誌 Whisky Magazine 首次舉辦的「Best of the Best」盲品競賽中，被評選為綜合 組第一與第二：隔年的 2003 年，山崎 12 年獲得 International Spirits Challenge ( 國際烈酒挑戰賽 ) 金獎；2005 年，山崎 18 年獲得 San Francisco World Spirits Competition ( 舊金山國際烈酒競賽 ) 雙金牌； 2006 年山崎 18 年再度榮獲 International Wine & Spirit Competition ( 國 際葡萄酒暨烈酒競賽 ) 首獎 (Trophy)⋯⋯，連年的國際獎項讓日本國產 威士忌引起全世界威士忌迷的關注，且不僅僅是調和威士忌，日本的單 一麥芽威士忌也一舉登上世界舞台，鳥井信治郎「用日本人的手，打造 世界級日本威士忌」的信念終於在多年後的二十一世紀初成功實現，收 穫來自全世界的掌聲肯定。

除了鳥井信治郎堅定的信念，日本國產威士忌的卓越和三得利的成 功絕非偶然、也絕非僅僅是幸運，背後是日本人追求極致的職人文化和 不斷精進的技術。

和魂洋才—獨樹一格的日本特色

日本國產威士忌的技術基本上承襲自蘇格蘭，然而，日本的風土卻 讓日本威士忌有著迥異於蘇格蘭威士忌的風情。 最純淨的水質－全国名水百選「離宮の水」

1923 年，當鳥井信治郎與竹鶴政孝決定攜手創建全日本第一座威 士忌蒸餾所，首要關鍵便是選址，鳥井信治郎著重的有兩點，首先，他 希望蒸餾廠不要離公司總部的市區太遠以便就近管理；其二，鳥井信治 郎深信水質對於威士忌品質的重要性。因此，當他找到了如今山崎蒸餾 所座落的區域，並發現此處的水源正是日本茶道鼻祖千利休建立妙喜庵 (Miyoikan) 茶庵之地，也是日後被日本環境廳評為全國名水百選之一的 「離宮之水」後，又特別找來蘇格蘭釀酒權威博士 Dr.Moore 針對水質 進行調查，Dr.Moore 的正面反饋讓鳥井信治郎信心大增。

對於良好水質的自信，讓山崎蒸餾廠的產品純粹卻又帶有複雜氣 息、含蓄雅緻而不喧嘩。

因地制宜－一廠抵百廠

除了風土的不同，相較於蘇格蘭酒廠與酒廠間能彼此換酒以增加調 和威士忌口感的層次感，山崎很早就認知到，由於日本早期的蒸餾廠少 之又少，彼此之間更是缺乏相互流通的管道，因此，每間酒廠必須自行 生產出各式各樣的原酒，以便創造出基酒的豐富度。要達到這個目標， 參訪過山崎蒸餾所的威士忌愛好者就知道，山崎蒸餾廠最出名的莫過於 其八對大小形狀全都不一樣的蒸餾器。

｜發酵｜

「發酵」這個步驟在山崎蒸餾廠特別被重視，歷屆首席調酒師都相 信發酵步驟所產生出的酯類分子對於威士忌的最終風味有著決定性的影 響，單單在酵母的選擇與應用上，三得利集團就特別成立酵母研究室， 研發出 3000 多種不同的酵母菌；在發酵槽的材質上，山崎蒸餾所的 十七座發酵槽中，有八個發酵槽以花旗松木製成，儘管較其餘九個不鏽 鋼槽來得難以控制溫度與溼度，卻更能讓乳酸菌更充分地發揮，成就更 複雜的香氣分子。

｜蒸餾｜

緊接著在對風味同樣至關重要的「蒸餾」環節，山崎蒸餾所一共有 十六座蒸餾器，其中八座酒汁蒸餾器全數使用瓦斯直火加熱，八座烈酒 蒸餾器使用蒸氣線圈或水蒸氣罐間接加熱，每一座蒸餾器的林恩臂長度 與角度皆不同，其中兩座更採用蘇格蘭酒廠所剩無幾的傳統蟲桶冷凝。 十六座蒸餾器的管線都可以自由配對，以不同的組合方式，生產出各式 各樣不同個性的原酒。

｜橡木桶｜

始終懷抱著「用日本人的手，打造世界級日本威士忌」信念的鳥井 信治郎，相信「橡木桶陳年」對威士忌的風味佔有超過 50% 的關鍵地 位，並希望有朝一日日本能不受制於海外橡木桶的供給，因此於 1934 年聘任了立山源丞成為集團第一任桶匠，立山源丞也不負鳥井信治郎的 信任，自行研發了一套製桶技術，並傳承予兒孫，目前擔任三得利集團 第三任桶匠的即為其孫子立山隆一。

三得利集團一共有五種主要的橡木桶，分別是 180 公升的美國 波本桶 (Barrel)、拆解波本桶而來的 230 公升豬頭桶 (Hogshead)、 將美國購買的美洲白橡木風乾至少三年製成的 480 公升邦穹桶 (Puncheon)、由西班牙 Jerez 區購入的 480 公升雪莉桶 (Sherry Butt)、 以及三得利的獨門絕活—水楢桶 (Mizunara)。

其中，雪莉桶是三得利威士忌最早啟用的橡木桶，三得利深信木 材的種類與品質是橡木桶熟成風味的關鍵，因此團隊每年都會到西班 牙北部拜訪雪莉酒莊和製桶廠，親自挑選樹木，並確認砍伐下來的木 頭經過三年的自然風乾和三年以上的雪莉酒桶陳。

而水楢桶的開發與使用，實為三得利因地制宜、絕地逢生的創意。 1941 年二戰的爆發使得橡木桶的進口變得困難，除了開發北美橡木與 波本桶的使用外，日本酒廠開始積極尋覓本土木材的使用可能，當時 主要用來製作高級家具、來自北海道的水楢木 (Mizunara Oak) 雀屏中 選，儘管水楢木生長緩慢，一年僅能做出不到 200 個桶子；同時，他 的硬度和偏大的毛細孔增加了橡木桶製作的困難度，再者，不管是在 1960 年代還是 1970 年代，山崎蒸餾廠歷屆首席調酒師都對水楢桶過 於強烈的香氣感到擔憂。然而，勇敢的碰撞終於在 1980 年代結出燦 爛的果實，過去不受歡迎的濃烈氣息在時間的醞釀下被沉澱，幻化出 日本神社的線香風情與圓潤細緻的酒體，是西方世界難以想像亦無法 模仿的東方風格。

｜首席調酒師｜

由於不似蘇格蘭的蒸餾廠有著各自基本的核心風味設定，製程上 從發酵、蒸餾、到入桶的各個環節基本上固定，蘇格蘭大部分酒廠首 席調酒師的主要工作是在堆積如山的庫存當中，決定哪些要作為酒廠 核心產品的調和、哪些適合陳年。撇除「山崎」單一麥芽威士忌有著 一定的風格和堅持，需要為集團調和威士忌製作基酒的山崎蒸餾所在 製程上的各種排列組合，都是由首席調酒師來做出決策，因此首席調 酒師的觀點和理想亦對集團所有產品的風格都有著至關重要的影響。

「我們擅長精準，注重細節」，從發酵到蒸餾，三得利始終相信 唯有每一個細節的完美才能造就最高品質的威士忌。然而，精準如實 驗室的山崎蒸餾廠，背後卻有著一顆尊重本質的職人信念。山崎蒸餾 所的歷屆首席調酒師都表示過，儘管蒸餾流程可以被控制，但放到橡 木桶中等待風味逐步成形的這段過程，是神秘而不可測的，有時會在 期待之中，有更多時候卻會出人意表，因此他們敬畏傳統、尊重過程， 身為職人的他們不需要舞台與目光，最驕傲地便是用無盡耐心打磨出 的產品散發出屬於自己耀眼奪目的光芒。於是，在無數職人的匍匐前 進中，山崎創造了歷史。

第四代首席調酒師福與伸二曾說，在紐約你會吃義大利人做的義 大利菜，在日本你會吃日本人做的義大利菜，這就是我們文化上的不 同，我們希望把東西變成我們自己的，這是最美妙的。這個解釋完美 呼應了鳥井信治郎「用日本人的手，打造世界級日本威士忌」的信念。 融合了日本人追求極致的職人文化與強大的行銷策略，山崎蒸餾所 用一個世紀的時間開鑿出屬於自己的一條路，創造了西方世界難以想像 亦無法複製的日本風格，也讓日本精神隨著威士忌，行銷全世界。

▲ 雪莉桶是三得利威士忌最早啟用的橡木桶，團隊每年都會到西班牙北部拜訪雪莉酒莊和 製桶廠，親自挑選樹木，並確認砍伐下來的木頭經過三年的自然風乾和三年以上的雪莉 酒桶陳。年份雪莉桶首次於1997年面市，連續發售四個年份至2000年推出1985雪莉桶 後中斷，又一直要到2009年才又再次推出。

The Origin of Japanese Domestic Whisky －

The Birth of the Yamazaki Distillery

The history of Japanese whisky is closely linked to the Yamazaki Distillery. To explore the Yamazaki distillery, it is necessary to mention Shinjiro Torii, who was born in 1876.

At the end of the 19th century, Japan was full of prosperity, fueled by the Meiji Restoration. At the age of 13, Shinjiro Torii came to work at Konishi Gisuke Shop, one of the first drugstores in Japan to sell imported liquor. In this rather fashionable and avant-garde shop, Shinjiro Torii was introduced to wine, whisky and other foreign liquors and developed a sensitivity to market changes. In 1899, Shinjiro Torii established his own business, the Torii Store, which was later renamed the Torii Shoten Store and became the predecessor of today's huge and valuable Suntory Group.

With many years of experience in selling liquor, Shinjiro Torii soon realized that although the market was flooded with foreign liquor, the drying sensation of wines and strong alcoholic of spirits were not really appreciated by Japanese nor actually selling well. Therefore, after a series of studies and trials, in 1907, the sweet and fruity "Akadama Sweet Wine" was launched to meet the sweet taste buds of the Japanese. Meanwhile, Shinjiro Torii also took a bold move in promoting and marketing, asking actress Matsushima Emiko to be photographed nude

▲ 白札的失敗不僅導致竹鶴政孝與鳥井信治郎的分道揚鑣，更讓壽屋瀕臨破產，幸而在 「名古屋電燈」前執行董事佐治儀助太太的資助下，壽屋得以挺過難關，繼續在國產威 士忌這條道路上前進。為感謝其雪中送炭，鳥井信治郎將當時年僅十歲的次子敬三送至 膝下無子的佐治家作為養子，佐治敬三於1961年正式接棒，成為壽屋的第二代掌門人。

in the advertisement. The launch of this port wine was a huge hit with consumers of all ages, soon captured over 60% of the Japanese wine market.

The success of Akadama Sweet Wine was no accident. It was

then that Shinjiro Torii realized that simply introducing or educating consumers to get used to foreign liquor was not the best strategy in the market, and that creating something what Japanese consumer would desire for was what he wanted to do. More importantly, from his early twenties, he showed the vision of a modern entrepreneur and recognized the importance of marketing.

With the success of Akadama Sweet Wine, Shinjiro Torii confidently embarked on a venture into the realm of spirits. At first, the imitation spirits, made from edible alcohol with colors and spices, sold pretty well. Nevertheless, Shinjiro Torii was not satisfied; he began the experiment of adding alcohol to wine barrels and was surprised by the change of the flavor after years of aging in barrels. In 1919, Torii Shoten Store launched Torys, a 37% alcohol whisky. Although the fruit-based Torys cannot be considered a whisky by today's standards, its light sweet taste was highly received by the market.

Although the subsequent launch of Whistan, a soda-added whisky, was not as popular as expected, Shinjiro Torii, who was keenly aware of the trend of the market, saw the possibility of a market for "real whisky". However, the production of "real whisky" required not only distillation equipment but also experts in whisky making. It was at this time, Masataka Taketsuru, known as the father of Japanese whisky, returned to Japan in November of 1920.

Originally appreciated by the president of Settsu Shuzo, Masataka Taketsuru was sent to Scotland in 1918 to learn the skill of making whisky. In 1919, he served as an apprentice at Longmorn Distillery. However, just as he was about to return to Japan, Japan was unfortunately in the state of economic depression that has put Settsu Shuzo's whisky making plan into an end. Masataka Taketsuru, who had a strong ambition, and Shinjiro Torii, who was actively developing real whisky in Japan, hit off immediately. The two signed a 10-year contract in June 1923 and promptly bought the land at the border of Kyoto and Osaka on October 1st the same year. After investing around two million yen over one year, the distiller of Yamazaki Distillery officially started to work at 11:11 a.m. on November 11, 1924. The Japanese malt whisky was produced for the first time in a pot made in Japan, completely according to the handdrawn notes of Taketsuru.

However, the creation of the "real whisky" did not go smoothly. At the end of the production season in 1925, Shinjiro Torii sent Masataka Taketsuru back to Hazelburn Distillery in Scotland for further training. On the other side, as a business owner, Shinjiro Torii had to develop various products such as curry powder, tooth cleaning powder, soy sauce, pepper and tea leaves to support the huge expenses of the distillery during this period. In April 1929, notwithstanding, Yamazaki Distillery's first whisky "Suntory Whisky White" was launched. However, the strong smoky peated flavor did not arouse attention of the market as they had expected. The performance of sales was so poor that Shinjiro Torii was convinced that Japanese market was not yet ready to accept the authentic Scottish flavor they tried to mimic and create; thus, he has made up his mind to develop a whisky that suits Japanese. This ran counter to the philosophy of Taketsuru, which was loyal to Scottish flavors. In 1934, at the end of the ten-year contract, Taketsuru left Torii Shoten Store and established Yoichi Distillery in Hokkaido. In July of the same year, Dai Nippon Kaju Co., Ltd. was established. The separation of Shinjiro Torii and Masataka Taketsuru created the two giants that each dominate half of Japanese whisky today - Suntory and Nikka Whisky. It was also this split and the different interpretations and perspectives that make Japanese whisky today diverse and unique.

In 1937, "Kakubin," which occupies an important position in the history of Japanese whisky, was launched. More than ten years of aging in oak barrels have brought the spirit a rich deep aroma and an elegant taste. At that time, there were around 1,300 bars in Tokyo. The launch of "Kakubin"received an unprecedented success. However, Shinjiro Torii's search of the "real whisky" did not stop there. Neither did World War II and the post-war chaos of the market stop him from keep creating the Japanese whisky that would embrace the local flavor and rival the Scotch whisky.

Keizo Saji also inherited his father's beliefs and business management practices, believing that the Torii Shoten Store sold not only products but also the "contemporary lifestyle of the product." While taking care of the quality of the products, the power of marketing was used to make the brand deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. In mid-1950s, the Torii Shoten Store opened more than 35,000 branded bars throughout Japan to promote Torys and Suntory. In 1956, the magazine Yoshu Tengoku (The Heaven of Foreign Wine) was launched as propaganda. In 1961, the "Drink Torys, Travel to Hawaii" advertising campaign was launched, which precisely captured the desire of everyone's pursuing for a better life deep down in the heart.

Furthermore, Keizo Saji teamed up with studied the structure of the Japanese taste buds together with the company's first chief winemaker, Inui Sato. Based on the findings of this report, Shinjiro Torii launched the "Suntory Royal" in May 1960. Royal was named because Shinjiro Torii believed that it was the ultimate perfection he sought, embracing the Japanese understanding of deliciousness and all expectations, reflecting the Torii Shoten Store officially made domestic whisky that is on par with imported whisky. Finally realizing his dream, Shinjiro Torii handed over the management of the Torii Shoten Store to his son Keizo Saji in 1961. In 1967, the Torii Shoten Store was officially renamed Suntory Holdings Limited.

In June 1971, the Japanese government announced the adoption of external economic measures, and it was expected that if the domestic whisky could not make a breakthrough in quality, it would no longer have a competitive advantage. Therefore, Suntory built Hakushu Distillery in 1972 to provide the group with more elements for blended whisky.

The Birth of Single Malt Whisky

The year 1984 was crucial for Yamazaki Distillery. In spite of the suppression of foreign spirits under free trade which resulted in a significant reduction in import tariffs, and the white spirit boom in Europe and the U.S. that suddenly makes shochu so popular. Suntory, celebrating the 60th anniversary of Yamazaki Distillery in that year, still decided to launch a single malt whisky. After spending more than two years in research and development with chief blender Inui Sato, the confident Keizo Saji named this single malt whisky after the distillery's name, "Yamazaki." When it was launched in March 1984, the age of the whisky was not indicated on the label. It was not until 1986 that it was officially changed to "Suntory Single Malt Whisky Yamazaki 12 Years Old." The birth of single malt whisky marked a major breakthrough in Japanese domestic whisky. The breakthrough, which now seems remarkable, was based only on the distillery's insistence on its ideals. On one hand, due to the shrinking domestic market for whisky as a result of the Japanese government's unfriendly taxation system for whisky, the overall consumption of domestic whisky had fallen to one-third of its 1983 level in 2001. On the other hand, Japanese consumers still preferred the soft and smooth low-priced whisky to the more full-bodied single malt whisky that are richer and stronger at that time. However, despite the fact that single malt whisky accounted only for a very small percentage of overall sales, Suntory continued to creep forward on the path of single malt whisky, in line with Shinjiro Torii's belief of "making world-class Japanese whisky with Japanese hands." In addition to "Suntory Single Malt Whisky Yamazaki 12 Years Old," "Yamazaki 18 Years Old," "Yamazaki 10 Years Old," and "Yamazaki 25 Years Old," were successively launched from 1992 to 1998.

International Recognition

Fortunately, "Yoichi 10 Years Old" and "Hibiki 21 Years Old" were voted first and second in the overall category in the "Best of the Best" blind tasting competition held for the first time by Whisky Magazine in 2001. The following year, in 2003, "Yamazaki 12 Years Old" won the Gold Medal at the International Spirits Challenge (ISC).

In 2005, "Yamazaki 18 Years Old" won the double gold medal in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. In 2006, "Yamazaki 18 Years Old" won the Trophy (first prize) at the International Wine & Spirit Competition. The international awards have brought Japanese whisky to the attention of whisky lovers around the world. Not only blended whisky but also Japanese single malt whisky became recognized and praised by the whole world. Shinjiro Torii's belief of "making world-class Japanese whisky with Japanese hands" finally realized, receiving applause from all over the world.

Under the firm belief of Shinjiro Torii, the excellence of Japanese domestic whisky and the success of Suntory are no accident and no mere luck, but the Japanese people's pursuit of the ultimate workforce culture and continuous improvement of technology.

Wakon Yōsai － Unique Japanese Characteristics

The technology of Japanese whisky was basically inherited from Scotland. However, different terroir gives Japanese whisky a very different flavor from that of Scotch whisky.

The purest water - "Rikyū Spring," one of the 100 most famous waters in Japan

In 1923, when Shinjiro Torii and Masataka Taketori decided to join forces to build the first whisky distillery in Japan, the first key was to choose the location. There were two important points for Shinjiro Torii. Firstly, he wanted the distillery to be located not too far from the company's headquarters in the city so that it could be managed nearby; secondly, he believed that the quality of water is the most important thing that relates to the quality of whisky. He discovered that the water source of the area where Yamazaki Distillery is located today was the same place where the founder of Japanese Tea ceremony, Sen no Rikyu, had established the Miyoikan tea house. The water here was also the"Riky Spring" later ranked by the Ministry of the Environment as one of the 100 most famous waters in Japan. Afterwards, Dr. Moore, Scotland's leading winemaking authority, had been specially commissioned to investigate water quality. Dr. Moore's positive feedback gave Shinjiro Torii a boost of confidence.

Confidence in the quality of the water gives Yamazaki Distillery's products a pure yet sophisticated, subtle, elegant and unobtrusive character.

Local Adaptation － One Distillery Worth a Hundred

In addition to the differences in terroir, compared with the Scotch distillery, which can swap between distilleries in Scotland to add layers to the blended whisky, Yamazaki realized early that there were only a few distilleries and neither do they have much communications, each distillery had to produce its own variety of new make spirits in order to create its own richness of base spirit. To achieve this goal, whisky lovers who have visited Yamazaki Distillery know that Yamazaki is most famous for its eight pairs of distillers, all of which are different in size and shape.

▲ 山崎蒸餾所的第一款單一麥芽威士忌於1984年首度面市，一開始並沒有標示酒齡，直到 1986年才將酒標上的名稱改為「山崎12年」，單一麥芽威士忌的誕生，昭示著日本國 產威士忌的重大突破。初期三代的山崎12年，除第一代酒標為白底，因應當時43度以上 的日本酒法規規定，酒標上均印有「ウイスキー特級」的字樣，瓶身標籤為雙獅標。第 四代開始黃色酒標邊緣出現金框，1993年後三得利集團旗下的瓶身標籤均改雙獅為金花， 並從第五代開始，為符合蘇格蘭威士忌標準，改Pure Malt為Single Malt。發行至今已超 過三十個年頭的山崎12年，用其酒標和瓶身的不斷改版見證著日本國產威士忌的更迭與 變化。

｜ Fermentation ｜

The step of "fermentation" is particularly valued at the Yamazaki Distillery. Former chief blenders believe that the ester molecules produced by the fermentation step have a decisive impact on the final flavor of the whisky. In the selection and application of yeast alone, the Suntory Group has set up a yeast research laboratory to develop more than 3,000 different types of yeast. Regarding the material of the fermentation tanks, eight of the seventeen fermentation tanks of the Yamazaki Distillery are made of Douglas fir wood. Although it is more difficult to control the temperature and humidity than the other nine stainless steel tanks, they allow the lactic acid bacteria to develop more fully, resulting in more complex aromatic molecules.

｜ Distillation ｜

Next, in the "distillation" step, which is equally important for flavor, the Yamazaki Distillery has a total of 16 stills, in which eight liquor stills are heated by direct gas fire, and other eight spirits stills are heated indirectly using steam coils or steam tanks. Each still has a different length and angle of the Lynn arm. Two of the stills are condensed in the traditional worm tubs that is mostly replaced even in Scotland. The pipelines of the sixteen stills can be mixed and matched to produce a variety of new make with different personalities in different combinations.

｜ Oak Barrels ｜

Shinjiro Torii believed oak aging is the one key that brings the flavor to a whisky. He hoped that one day Japan would not have to be limited by oak barrels sourcing from oversea. Therefore, in 1934, Genj Tateyama was hired as the Suntory's first barrel maker. He lived up to Shinjiro Torii's trust by developing his own barrel-making techniques, passed on to his children and grandchildren. His grandson, Ryuichi Tateyama, is currently the third-generation barrel maker of the Suntory Group.

Suntory has five main types of oak barrels: 180-liter American Barrel, 230-liter Hogshead barrels made of dismantled American Bourbon Barrel, 480-liter Puncheon barrels made of American white oak purchased in the United States being air-dried for at least three years, 480-liter Sherry Butt barrels purchased from the Jerez region of Spain, and Suntory's unique Mizunara barrels.

The Sherry Butt was the first oak barrel to be used for Suntory whisky. Suntory believes that the type and quality of the wood is the key to the flavor of the oak barrel maturation. Therefore, the team visits the sherry winery in Jerez and the woods where the plants came from in northern Spain every year. The team personally selects the trees and confirms that the felled wood has undergone three years of natural drying and over three years of sherry wine aging.

The development and use of Mizunara was the result of Suntory's creativity to adapt to local conditions. The outbreak of World War II in 1941 has made import of oak barrels difficult. In addition to developing the use of North American oak and American Barrel, Japanese distilleries began to actively seeking for indigenous woods for use. Mizunara Oak from Hokkaido that mainly used for high quality furniture, was then selected. Mizunara Oak grows slowly, less than 200 barrels could be made per year. At the same time, its hardness and large capillaries make barrel making more difficult. Moreover, in both the 1960s and 1970s, Yamazaki Distillery's successive chief blenders were concerned about the overpowering aroma of Mizunara. However, the brave collision finally bore fruit in the 1980s. The unpopular strong aromas have been settled over time, resulting in the linear aroma of a Japanese shrine and a round and delicate body that is unimaginable and inimitable in the Western world.

｜ Chief Blender ｜

The distilleries in Scotland have their own basic core flavor profiles, and the process is essentially fixed from fermentation, distillation, to barreling. What most scottish chief blenders or the master blenders have to do is to decide which barrels of whisky should be blended into which core products and which should be aged longer in the warehouse. However, to the chief blender of Yamazaki, his job is not only in the blending but also the process of making the spirits such as which fermentation yeast and which combinations of distillation. Chief blender's decision influence the style and characteristics of the whole distillery.

From fermentation to distillation, Suntory believes that only the perfection of every detail can produce whisky with the highest quality. However, behind the laboratory-like precision of Yamazaki Distillery lies the belief of the craftsmanship that respects the essence. Yamazaki Distillery's successive chief blenders have said that although the distillation process can be carefully controlled, the long period of time after the new make spirit being put into oak barrel is up until today mysterious and unpredictable. Sometimes it is as expected, more often than not, it is unexpected. Therefore, they respect every detail, every process, and every tradition. To them, the biggest joy came from the shining final products that took them years of patience to polished and created.

Shinji Fukuyo, the fourth generation chief blender, once said, "In New York, you eat Italian food made by Italians,. In Japan, you eat Italian food made by Japanese. That's the difference of our culture. We want to make things our own, which is the most wonderful thing." It perfectly reflects Shinjiro Torii's belief of "making world-class Japanese whisky with Japanese hands."

Combining the Japanese craftsmanship of pursuing excellence and strong marketing strategies, Yamazaki Distillery has spent a century forging a path of its own, creating a Japanese style that is unimaginable and impossibly replicated in the Western world; meanwhile, the Japanese spirit, along with the whisky, has been marketed all over the world.