It takes pride of place in high-end bars around the world, has been crowned with a string of glittering awards and even starred in the hit film Lost in Translation.
I t takes pride of place in high-end bars around the world, has been crowned with a string of glittering awards and even starred in the hit film Lost in Translation.
But Japanese whisky, which has recently followed in the footsteps of sushi and ramen with a meteoric rise in overseas popularity, appears to have become a victim of its own success.
The leading Japanese whisky maker Suntory Spirits has announced that it will shortly stop selling two premium brands due to shortages fuelled by a global thirst for its award-winning drinks.
The company – Japan’s first whisky maker – plans to suspend sales of Hakushu 12, a single malt whisky, from June, while the popular blended Hibiki 17 will stop from September.
The decision to halt sales was taken because Suntory was reportedly unable to keep up with surging demand, according to Kyodo news agency.
The popularity of Japanese whisky abroad has hit new heights in recent years, due to a string of international awards and a growing market for fashionable Japanese restaurants and bars overseas.
But the demise of the two premium Suntory brands was an inevitable consequence of its popularity due to finite supplies, according to Jim Murray, the British global whisky expert.
“I was not at all surprised to hear Suntory’s news,” Mr Murray, author of Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible, told the Telegraph. “There is not enough Japanese whisky to sustain demand.
