34 • AGENDA
• INTERVIEW
Credited with reinventing Japan’s whisky tradition, Suntory’s chief blender is one of the most influential figures in world whisky. Now approaching retirement, Koshimizu-san talks candidly to Unfiltered about 30 groundbreaking years
Giants of whisky
SEIICHI KOSHIMIZU
You joined Suntory’s Tamagawa plant back in 1973, but what originally drew you to whisky-making? Actually, at the time I joined the company I was more interested in pursuing a career in wine. I had hoped to at least work in a production plant. I had a favourable impression of whisky, but it wasn’t until I was moved to the research centre and put in charge of research into barrels and maturation that I really developed a liking for it.
Your innovations have helped define Japanese whisky in the eyes of the world. What inspired you to experiment with bamboo charcoal filtration and Japanese oak? Over our 90-year history of creating whisky, Suntory has continually risen to new challenges, crafting whiskies to suit the Japanese palate and creating some of the finest whiskies on a global level. We experiment with a wide range of options, and that is how we came to use bamboo charcoal filtration and mizunara (Japanese oak). As a blender, the thought of creating a whisky that can be made only in Japan and only by Suntory, has always been uppermost in my mind. And it was while we were battling with the practicalities of how to give form to the product concept that we opted to use bamboo charcoal filtration as the optimum method and mizunara as the optimum material.
So, did you set out to create flavour profiles which were distinctly and uniquely Japanese? My belief is that maturation and blending are fundamental to the appeal of whisky. And in the pursuit of the ideal dram, you really need to have individual casks with a distinctive character. From the very beginning, I have set myself the challenge of improving the quality of
THE SCOTCH MALT WHISKY SOCIETY
the whisky in our casks. But at the same time I have searched for a method of creating a whisky that is totally different in character and is unique to Suntory.
Aside from a great nose, what does it take to be a chief blender? There are so many elements to being a good blender: imagination, power of expression, acumen and intuition, to name but a few. And I don’t believe for a moment that I have all these abilities. It is absolutely vital for a blender to be passionate about creating delicious whisky. It is important not to change your goals, and to constantly concentrate on tasting with an acute sense of awareness. I think a good blender needs to constantly build their experience and should always be honest in the way he treats whisky. I think it is also important to have other passions, for other alcohol and food, and to build up a wealth of direct experience of gourmet, fine-quality products.
What are the greatest changes you have witnessed in Japanese whisky? Also, where do you see its future? For about 25 years the whisky market in Japan was in decline. This meant the industry as a whole had to improve the appeal of its whisky, with the result that product quality has improved. It was the huge efforts of the people of Scotland to improve the quality of their whisky that gave us the whisky we have today. As a result, whenever you hear the word ‘whisky’ you think of Scotch – this is an undisputed fact. But if, going forward, we can maintain the level of acclaim for Japanese whisky that we have achieved in recent years, then there will come a time when people will say ‘Whisky is a Japanese alcohol’. It is not something that can be achieved in the short term, but I don’t think it is an impossible dream.
As a blender,
the thought of creating a whisky that can be made only in Japan and only by Suntory, has always been uppermost in my mind
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