You say that you tasted Indian snacks and did your own first-hand research and then decided what the blend is going to be. Could you tell us more about that?

Compared to Japanese cuisine, Indian cuisine is very spicy and has very strong aromas. From my point of view, Indian consumers tend to drink whisky with soda and water, diluted. So the whisky itself should include aromas and flavours, so it can be enjoyed even after being diluted with water... then (it is) enhanced by smokey malt, but not too much; My research tells me ‘too much smokey’ doesn't always work with Indian consumers.

Could you tell us about Japanese whisky?

We started whisky production in 1923, 96 years ago and the first product was launched in 1929. Particularly in the last 10-15 years, our whisky has been accepted worldwide. We have also won whisky competitions, we have won gold medals and trophies. Our whisky is now very popular, especially brands like Yamazaki, Hibiki.

The whisky production (in Japan) was inspired by Scotch whisky. The style is quite similar, but Japanese craftsmanship, Japanese nature, water, Japanese climate have created (unique) Japanese whisky characteristics.

The way whisky is consumed in Japan is also different, for instance in a highball and as Mizuwari (with water and ice). Could you tell us more about that?

In Japan, sake was the most popular drink many years ago. It has about 15-16% alcohol content, beer has about 5-6%, Japanese domestic spirits have 20-25%. Whisky generally has about 40-45%. In Japan, people demanded whisky that (we could drink) with ice and water, it happened 50-60 years ago. So Japanese people could enjoy whisky with a suitable percentage (of alcohol)... in summertime, particularly, when it is hot and humid. So Mizuwari—ice, water and whisky—is easy to drink. In the last ten years, we also introduced the highball campaign. Highball is similar to Mizuwari, it is with soda; it is another whisky drinking trend.

What are some of the things that you keep in mind while creating blends for India? Do you believe your blends are more suited to the Indian and Asian palate?

We always think of the occasion when the consumer drinks, not just quality in the bottle, but quality in the glass, too. That’s why our whisky can be diluted. Even after diluting with water and soda, you can still enjoy the aroma very well. We always think about the drinking occasion, it is a Suntory tradition.

Shinji Fukuyo

How Beam Suntory’s Shinji Fukuyo created a whisky blend for India