Fuji Sanroku Signature Blend

What it is

A blended whisky from Fuji Gotemba, bottled at 50% with no age statement. First released in April 2017 through the distillery shop and Kirin's own webstore, then made available across Japan from August 2018. It became the flagship regular Fuji Sanroku product after the cheaper Tarujuku 50 was retired.

Where it comes from

Kirin states that the Fuji range is made exclusively from whiskies produced at Fuji Gotemba. Everything from mashing to bottling happens on one site, which is what the Japan Spirits and Liqueurs Makers Association standard asks for. No imported whisky. Worth noting that Fuji Sanroku is an older brand than the Fuji range proper, so older bottlings predate the 2021 standard.

How it's made

Fuji Gotemba opened in 1973 as a joint venture between Kirin, Seagram and Chivas Brothers, which is how one distillery ended up with Scotch, American and Canadian production knowledge under one roof. It runs pot stills for malt and three different still types for grain, producing light, medium and heavy styles. Water comes from three bores tapping streams 100 metres down, fed by snow that fell on Mount Fuji around fifty years earlier. Master blender Jota Tanaka, named Master Distiller of the Year at the 2017 Icons of Whisky awards, hand selects the casks.

What to expect

Smooth and velvety, with caramel, honey and toffee, then vanilla and gentle spice from American oak. Reviewers note waxy green leaves, peppercorn and citrus in the aromatics, with a clean finish. At 50% it carries weight without heat.

How it compares

Against Fuji Sanroku Tarujuku 50, the discontinued predecessor, this is the premium replacement and considerably dearer. Against the newer Fuji Single Blended at 43%, that's the single blended designation product and this is the older brand. Against Suntory Toki or Hibiki Harmony, the Fuji blends come from one distillery rather than three.