News
No.12315 March 23, 2015
Suntory Spirits Limited
Tokyo, Japan, March 20, 2015 - Seiichi Koshimizu, Chief Blender Emeritus of Suntory Spirits Limited has been inducted into the Whisky Magazine “Hall of Fame”, becoming the first Japanese recipient. The induction ceremony was held together with the awards ceremonies for the Icons of Whisky (also hosted by the magazine) in London, England on Thursday, March 19.
The "Hall of Fame" is a prestigious award from Paragraph Publishing Ltd's Whisky Magazine, and is presented to individuals who have made a significant contribution to the whisky industry over many years. Winners have been announced every year since 2004, with a total of 22 recipients until 2014.
Among the three categories, Scotland, America and the Rest of the World, Koshimizu became the Rest of the World recipient. Reasons for Koshimizu receiving the award included “Mr. Koshimizu is one of those people that has made Japanese whisky iconic, and one of the most high standard, consistently, loved whiskies in the world. He has made more contribution than anyone else to do that in Japan.” Koshimizu expressed his joy and pride at receiving the award, commenting “I am very proud that Suntory Blending technology and craftsmanship have been recognized by the world. We hope to continue our quest to deliver high-quality whisky that satisfies whisky fans around the world”.
