Japanese whiskey prices will rise significantly starting next spring due to rising raw material and logistics costs.
According to local media such as Jiji News and Bloomberg on the 21st, Asahi Beer, which produces Nikka Whiskey, announced the day before that it would increase the prices of 17 brands and 68 items by up to 62% from April 1 next year.
The company said, “In addition to the sharp rise in prices of raw materials, packaging materials, and energy, costs such as logistics costs for transportation continue to rise,” and “It is difficult to absorb it through corporate efforts alone (such as improving productivity).”
In addition, he explained, “We have made active facility investments in the Nikka Whiskey Hokkaido factory’s Yoichi Distillery and Miyagikyo Distillery, but we need to increase production facilities in the future to ensure a stable supply of products and improve quality.”
Accordingly, the retail price of ‘Yoichi Single Malt 10 Year Old’ (700ml) will increase by 50% from 8,800 yen (about 80,000 won) to 13,200 yen (about 120,000 won). Nikka’s premium brand ‘Taketsuru Pure Malt’ (700ml) will rise by 56% from 4,950 yen (about 45,000 won) to 7,700 yen (about 70,000 won) including tax.
The price of Yoichi and Miyagikyo single malt duty-free products increases the most, at 62%. The ‘Yoichi Grande’ NAS product is currently being sold for 10,000 yen.
Suntory Holdings, which competes with Asahi in the premium whiskey field, announced last month that it would increase the prices of popular products such as Hibiki 30 Year Old and Yamazaki 25 Year Old by more than 100%.
The price of ‘Suntory Whiskey Hibiki 30 Year Old’ increases by 125% from 160,000 yen (about 1.45 million won) to 360,000 yen (about 3.27 million won). The price of ‘Suntory Single Malt Whiskey Yamazaki 25 Years Old’ will increase from 160,000 yen to 360,000 yen. The price of ‘Yamazaki 12 Year Old’ is adjusted from 10,000 yen (about 91,000 won) to 15,000 yen (about 136,500 won).
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.