Up to 28% price increase for 31 Japanese whiskies
02/12/2021
Whisky is becoming a more popular drink throughout the world, which means more people to share a glass with, but also greater demand. Sadly, in Japan, this means a whiskey might sell out or disappear altogether due to demand exceeding supply. Or, due to a lack of demand, whiskey companies raise their pricing.
In reality, Suntory, a Japanese beverage company, stated this spring that it would raise the price of some of its own and imported whiskies by up to 28%. Suntory has been investing in more barrels and storage warehouses to accommodate expanding demand for whisky, but they still can’t keep up with demand for certain of their brands.
As a result, the firm has chosen to raise the pricing of 31 goods from eight whiskey brands, hoping to use the money to expand distillation and storage capacity. Prices will jump from 5% to 28%. Suntory’s Hibiki, Yamazaki, Shirasu, and Chita brands are impacted, as are the Scottish whiskey brands Macallan, Glenfiddich, and Balvenie, and the Irish whisky Tullamore D.E.W.
Fortunately for casual whiskey drinkers, Suntory’s lower-priced offerings will remain unchanged. Suntory has issued a complete list of price increases, with most increases around 15% for goods currently priced under 10,000 yen. Suntory’s 700-milliliter Yamazaki bottle, for example, goes from 4,200 to 4,500 yen, a 7% rise.
Costlier bottles experience the highest price increases. The 25-year Yamazaki, for example, started for 125,000 yen but will rise to 160,000 yen starting April. A 28 percent price increase is planned for the 30-year and 21-year Hibiki, 18-year Yamazaki, 25- and 18-year Shirasu, and 30-year Macallan Sherry Oak.
