Kirin Holdings

Kirin Brewery began selling imported whisky and wine in 1971.⁶ In 1972 it formed Kirin-Seagram with the drinks multinational Seagram, through Joseph E Seagram and Sons of the USA, and with Chivas Brothers of the UK.^1,5,6 Kirin-Seagram's distillery in Gotemba, in the foothills of Mount Fuji, was completed in 1973, and whisky making began there.^1,5,6 In 1974 Kirin-Seagram launched Robert Brown, its first whisky made in Japan.⁶ Kirin became the sole owner of the Gotemba distillery in 2002, and on 1 July Kirin-Seagram was renamed Kirin Distillery.^3,4,9

In 2002 Kirin bought Four Roses Distillery in Kentucky and dropped the Four Roses blended whiskey, made mostly of neutral grain spirits, to focus on straight bourbon.^4,7,10 Jota Tanaka, who had handled wine and spirits at Kirin-Seagram, was sent to Four Roses to work as director of quality.^9,11

In 2006 Kirin took a 50.1% stake in Mercian, which owned the Karuizawa distillery.^4,12,13 In December 2010 Kirin made Mercian, a wine maker, a wholly owned subsidiary.^14,15,16 Karuizawa, which had stopped distilling in 2000, closed in November 2011, and Kirin sold its last 364 casks to Number One Drinks.^13,17,18 The distillery site was sold to a new owner in 2012.¹⁷