Author Archives: George Koutsakis

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Suntory Announces New Japanese Wine Range

On September 4th, 2018, Suntory will be releasing the latest vintages in some of their most popular wine ranges and adding to the booming category of Japanese wine. Along with Suntory’s Tomi No Oka winery, their Shiojiri site has led the companies to success in the wine world, often winning awards at both domestic and […]

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On The Road With dekantā – Kanosuke Distillery

The taxi drives around bends of dark green, up small streets, and past wide fields before I finally arrive at my destination. Outside some decorative cacti stand between rocks and other plants, a handful of casks are racked by the parking, and the sleek, modern Kanosuke distillery blends in with its natural surroundings. Kanosuke is […]

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Marugin – The Birthplace of The Japanese Whisky Highball

Located on a small street near Ginza station in Tokyo, bar Marugin is usually packed. Smoke and steam rise up from the central kitchen and bar, as the chefs grill up an assortment of skewers and small Japanese dishes. Servers hold large Suntory tumblers under the highball dispensing machines, as the floor staff moves around […]

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Japanese Gin “Sakurao Original” Tops Category At Los Angeles International Spirits Competition

Last year will be known as the year of Japanese gin when the category really boomed and Japan’s largest whisky makers, Suntory and Nikka, entered the scene with their very own craft gin expressions featuring local botanical-heavy recipes. The category hasn’t stopped moving forward since, as small producers all around Japan continue to release new […]

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Kikou 2018 – A Japanese Whisky Encased In Scottish Legend

What happens when you take the booming category of Japanese whisky and fuse it with the traditions of Scotch? You get an expression as unique as they come. We celebrated our 3rd anniversary during the first 10 days of June, holding social media competitions, flash sales, and delivering abundant content. But everything was leading up […]

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Benizakura Distillery – Hokkaido Gin & George Orwell

The city of Sapporo is the capital of Hokkaido, known throughout the world for its skiing culture, Sapporo beer, and the amazing Sapporo Snow Festival, which attracts millions of tourists each year. The city is also the fifth largest in Japan in terms of population. Looking at Japanese food, Hokkaido can’t be beaten. The cold […]

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Yamazaki Limited Edition 2018 Will Not Be Released, Suntory Confirms

Breaking News: During a conversation, a spokesperson from Suntory confirmed that the Yamazaki distillery will not be releasing the much-anticipated Yamazaki Limited Edition 2018. The famed range started with a bottling in 2014 and new releases have launched each year since, in 2015, 2016, and 2017. Some have speculated and the rumour has been around for […]

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Japanese Whisky At The International Spirits Challenge 2018

The whisky results of the International Spirits Challenge 2018 were published today, on May 11th. There are some wonderful Gold winners in the Japanese whisky categories this year which are, as usual, dominated by the giants of Japanese whisky, Suntory and Nikka. In last year’s competition, Suntory was named “World Whisky Producer of the Year” […]