Suntory increases 19 types of premium whiskey… For the first time since April 2022
With the popularity of ‘highball’, a drink mixed with whiskey and carbonated water, the price of Japanese whiskey, which is very popular among foreign tourists, is expected to rise significantly.
According to local media such as Japan’s Asahi Shimbun on the 23rd, Suntory, a Japanese beverage and alcoholic beverage manufacturer, announced that it would increase the retail prices of 19 types of its premium whiskeys by 20% to 125% from April 1 next year.
Accordingly, the price of a 700ml bottle of ‘Hibiki 30 Years Old’, ‘Yamazaki 25 Years Old’, and ‘Hakushu 25 Years Old’ will increase from the existing 160,000 yen (about 1.4 million won) to 360,000 yen. (approximately 3.13 million won), an increase of nearly 125%. The price of a 700ml bottle of relatively inexpensive ‘Yamazaki 12 Year Old’ and ‘Hakushu 12 Year Old’ also ranges from 10,000 yen (approximately 87,000 won) to 15,000 yen (approximately 13,000 won). 10,000 won), a 50% increase.
This is the first time that Suntory is raising the price of whiskey since April 2022. According to the Asahi Shimbun, Suntory said, “We have continued to invest in facilities such as expansion of production facilities and storage,” and explained, “The price increase is to cover the costs.”
As the popularity of Japanese whiskey grows, supply cannot keep up with demand, leading to continued shortages. At the duty-free shop at Kansai International Airport in Osaka, Japan, whiskey is sold through a lottery due to shortages. In domestic liquor stores, Japanese whiskey is sold at a price several times higher than the local price, making purchasing it at full price as difficult as picking a star in the sky.
Japanese whiskey is also very popular overseas. At an auction held in London, England on the 17th, a bottle of Japanese whiskey was sold for over 300,000 pounds (about 486 million won). It is reported that this whiskey is ‘The Archer’, manufactured 63 years ago in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.