Photo/Illutration Bottles of unblended malt whiskies line the shelves at Suntory Spirits Ltd.’s Yamazaki Distillery in Shimamoto, Osaka Prefecture, on Feb. 1. (Takashi Yoshida)

Suntory Spirits Ltd. will invest 10 billion yen ($76 million) over two years to upgrade its Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries and release new canned highball products to mark its 100th anniversary of making whisky.

It plans to introduce the traditional production method of floor malting at both distilleries for some of its products, where workers will spread out barley, the main ingredient for making whisky, on the floor and stir it by hand so it germinates into malt.

This method brings out more aroma than mechanized processes, although Suntory officials have yet to settle on how to use it for marketing purposes. But they hope the experiment will help the company improve the quality of its products overall.

“We will keep working simply and honestly over the next 100 years, too, on improving quality and creating demand,” Suntory President Nobuhiro Torii said at a Feb. 1 news conference marking the centenary year.

Shinjiro Torii, Suntory’s founder who is Nobuhiro’s great-grandfather, set about building Japan’s first malt whisky distillery, the Yamazaki Distillery in Osaka Prefecture, in fall 1923.

It continues to produce some of the unblended malt whisky used in Suntory’s signature “Kakubin” (square bottle) and “Old” whisky products, and the “Yamazaki,” a high-end whisky product named after the distillery, has earned high international acclaim.

But Suntory’s unblended whisky has become almost too successful.

It is celebrating the anniversary while coping with limited output capacity for unblended malt whiskies among brisk and unyielding demand.

The characteristic aroma of whisky is born from the process of maturing in a cask for a long time, often for 10 to 15 years. But Suntory cannot increase the output of its unblended malt whiskies at the snap of its fingers after scaling back production during its doldrum years, a period that lasted about two and a half decades that started after demand had peaked in 1983.

Demand started to rise again more recently, partly because in 2008 Suntory successfully created a craze in Japan for highballs, or whisky and soda, and partly because Japanese whisky is receiving more acclaim both domestically and internationally.

But the sales volume in 2021, however, was still only about half of what it was when it peaked.

The company has been rushing to increase its unblended whisky production since about 2010 by allocating more storage space for the maturation process, but it will be a long time before the manufacturer can ensure a sufficient supply.

“Demand could grow further,” Torii admitted. “I feel so guilty for saying this, but some of our whisky products will likely remain in short supply for some time to come.”

Some Suntory whisky products are now being sold at eye-popping prices over the suggested retail prices set by the manufacturer.

Torii said he is aware of that situation and his company will consider possible countermeasures.

Suntory has meanwhile come up with several other whisky products to mark the year that diehard fans will have to settle with for now.

The company is releasing new canned “Premium Highball” products made from high-end whiskies. The company will start by launching a canned “Hakushu” premium highball product in limited quantity on June 6, followed by a “Yamazaki” premium highball in fall.

Also, since late January, the company has gradually been renewing its canned “Kaku Highball” beverage, which is sold at convenience stores and supermarkets. The renewed edition is bubblier and more aromatic.

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