News Release

No.14455(2023/9/15)

Suntory Hakushu Distillery Reopens Revealing the Renovated Main Facilities and Two New-look Distillery Tours

- Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the company aims to enhance quality craftmanship and elevate visitor experience -

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Tokyo, JAPAN (September 15,2023) - Suntory Spirits Ltd. will reopen its Hakushu Distillery in Yamanashi Prefecture to public from Monday, October 2^nd, 2023.

This year, Suntory celebrates the 100th anniversary of whisky making which began at Yamazaki, Kyoto by Shinjiro Torii, the founder of Suntory. Since its journey from 1923, the company has been pioneering the art of Japanese Whisky by crafting with relentless pursuit of perfection; striving to cultivate whisky drinking culture and produce the highest quality spirits. To further to enhance quality craftsmanship and elevate visitor experience, renovations are under way through 2024 at both Yamazaki and Hakushu Distilleries. (News Release No.14314).

The Hakushu Distillery has been renovated to a place where visitors can furthermore experience the delicate whisky making embodied by the Japanese nature and climate, and created by Japanese spirits craftsmanship, which is the core attraction of the distillery.

Hakushu Distillery was established in 1973 and celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Also called as the “Mountain Forest Distillery”, the site is surrounded by a lush green valley at the foot of Mt. Kaikomagatake in the Japanese Southern Alps. Hakushu Distillery creates a unique whisky that differs from that of Yamazaki Distillery, not only because of the nature conditions including water and climate, but also of the different facilities such as washback and pot stills.

As a distillery that embodies Suntory Group’s corporate philosophy “to inspire the brilliance of life, by creating rich experiences for people, in harmony with nature”, Hakushu Distillery has been conducting bird conservation activities since its establishment and owns a “Bird Sanctuary” within its site.
This renewal will offer new exhibitions and distillery tours for visitors to further experience this distinctive and captivating distillery.

〈About the renewed facilities〉
▼Visitor Center
As a main entrance for both Hakushu Distillery and Suntory Natural Mineral Water Minami Alps Hakushu Water Plant, the company aimed to create a place where visitors could recognize the attractiveness of the "Hakushu Sanctuary" which encompasses two facilities and the entire site. The building materials and the design incorporates granite, forest, and water - all of which are essential elements of the natural environment of Hakushu. In addition to setting up a reception for visits and distillery tours, a new diorama will be exhibited to provide a visual understanding of the site, along with a "Visitor Center Gift Shop" where the visitors can purchase original souvenirs of the distillery and water plant.

▼Bird Sanctuary
Since its establishment in 1973, Hakushu Distillery has been committed to preserve the environment that nurtures rich nature and pure water through bird conservation activities such as creating “Bird Sanctuary”, a wild bird protection area, within the distillery. In order to have visitors to become more familiar with the natural environment of Hakushu, the company created a new exhibit about its activities at the "Bird Sanctuary" and the birds that live in the forest, as well as a sound collector that enables visitors to listen to birds' voices.

▼Central House
For visitors to fully feel the attractiveness of the “Hakushu Sanctuary”, there is a relaxing tasting room where visitors can see the forest sprawling beyond the wall-to-wall window. Visitors can enjoy tastings of rare whiskies including the Hakushu brand, and food pairings with Suntory Single Malt Whisky Hakushu. The adjacent "Central House Gift Shop" prepares a variety of souvenirs unique to the Hakushu distillery and offers an affluent lifestyle with Hakushu.

〈About the new distillery tours〉
▼Hakushu Distillery Monozukuri Tour
●Duration: 90 minutes
●Participation fee: 3,000 JPY (tax included)
●Main contents:
This tour will walk visitors through the distillery where the “Suntory Single Malt Whisky Hakushu” brand is made, for a distinctive and sensory experience of the aroma and atmosphere that can only be felt at the site. The tasting will include “Suntory Single Malt Whisky Hakushu”, rare component malt whiskies and Hakushu Highball, with an original tasting glass as a souvenir to take home.

▼Hakushu Distillery Monozukuri Tour Premium
●Duration: 130 minutes
●Participation fee: 5,000 JPY (tax included)
●Main contents:
This tour will walk visitors through the distillery where “Suntory Single Malt Whisky Hakushu” brand is made, for a distinctive and sensory experience of the aroma and atmosphere that can only be felt at the site. This premium tour will take visitors exclusively to limited manufacturing areas, along with a special tasting session at the warehouse, leading visitors through the nature environment and the perfection to craftmanship at the Hakushu Distillery. The tasting will include “Suntory Single Malt Whisky Hakushu 12 Years Old” and rare component malt whiskies, with an original tasting glass and a glass holder as a souvenir to take home.

*No one under 20 years old can participate in the tour. Drinking and driving and drinking before the age of 20 is prohibited by the law. Drivers of automobiles, motorcycles (including passengers), or bicycles are not able to drink alcohol.

▼Suntory Hakushu Distillery website
https://www.suntory.com/factory/hakushu/

About Suntory Group
As a global leader in the beverage industry, Suntory Group offers a uniquely diverse portfolio of products, from premium spirits, beer, wine, ready-to-drink alcohol beverages, to brewed teas, bottled water, still and carbonated soft drinks, ready-to-drink coffee and energy drinks, along with health and wellness products. Suntory is home to award-winning Japanese whiskies Yamazaki, Hibiki and Hakushu, as well as iconic American spirits Jim Beam and Maker's Mark. Suntory also fascinates the taste buds with The Premium Malt's beer, and owns the exceptional Japanese wine, Tomi, and the world-famous Château Lagrange. Its brand collection includes Sauza Tequila, non-alcoholic favorites Orangina, Lucozade, Ribena, BOSS coffee, Iyemon green tea, Suntory Tennensui water, TEA+ Oolong Tea, V and BRAND’S, as well as popular health and wellness product Sesamin EX.

Founded as a family-owned business in 1899 in Osaka, Japan, Suntory Group has grown into a global company operating throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania, with an annual revenue (excluding excise taxes) of $20.2 billion in 2022. Its 40,885 employees worldwide draw upon the unique blend of Japanese artisanship and global tastes to explore new product categories and markets.

As a corporation sustained by the gifts of nature and water, Suntory Group will always protect the ecosystems that deliver water. Because its ecosystem is the wellspring, not only of its business and the rich experiences the group creates for people's lives, but also of human life itself. Suntory Group will continue to be a company where everyone is empowered with the freedom and flexibility to innovate. Through all of its corporate pursuits, Suntory seeks to inspire the brilliance of life.

Learn more about Suntory Group, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility and sustainability at www.suntory.com, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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