The taste of Japan in a bottle: Yoshino Spirits extends travel retail footprint

Japan’s Yoshino Spirits is on a mission in travel retail. The company aims to extend its global network through the channel as part of a drive to become the country’s largest independent craft spirits exporter. It also plans to become Japan’s leading craft spirits importer.

Yoshino Spirits’ travel retail portfolio offers a wide range of spirits, wines and sake. The company offers “one stop-shopping” for customers interested in speciality Japanese products. Its travel retail focus is on Kamiki, Kura, Kawashima Sake and Katoshimo Wines, for which it holds global rights and/or extensive extended territory rights.

Yoshino Spirits already works with Dubai Duty Free, Lotte Duty Free and Aer Rianta International for the Kamiki whisky brand.  Matsu No Hana sake is available through Dufry at the Hong Kong West Kowloon Station duty free store.

The company partners with distributor Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits in selected duty free outlets in the USA and the Caribbean and with Oriental-Prestige Supplies for African, Gulf and Indian subcontinent stores. It also works with Les Grand Chais de France in selected domestic and duty free markets.

Yoshino Spirits Global Sales Director Serdar Pala said the company plans to extend its core whisky range to all its duty free accounts.

“Our motto is to bring that taste of Japan to the world in a bottle. We aim to expand the rest of the categories we offer to exclusive, specialty accounts around the world, to include, for example, our Japanese wine range.”

Pala said Yoshino Spirits aimed to “capture the attention of global premium consumers who are seeking Japanese quality” through its versatile portfolio.

The taste of Japan: Yoshino Spirits aims to capture the attention of premium whisky lovers.

Yoshino Spirits’ Kamiki blended malt whisky is claimed to be the first Japanese whisky finished in Japanese cedar (Yoshino Sugi) casks. The whisky offers a smooth taste, a scent of sandalwood on the nose and a finish of green tea. The 48%ABV Kamiki is available in a 75ml gift pack on the US market and in 50cl bottles for other countries. Kamiki has multiple awards from international spirits competitions, and recently earned the Chairman’s Trophy award at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2018 in the Japanese Whisky category (where it scored a table-topping 95 points).

Limited-edition Kura The Whisky is from the Helios Distillery on the Japanese island of Okinawa. The blended malt whisky is presented in 700ml bottles (40%ABV). A rum cask-finish Kura is also available. Yoshino Spirits claims this is the first time that Japanese rum barrels have been used to age a Japanese whisky.

Kura The Whisky: Two expressions from the Helios Distillery in Okinawa.

Yoshino Spirits’ wines include King Selby from the Katashimo Winery, which was established in 1914 and is regarded as a national landmark. Its Kashiwara red is aged in oak barrels and combines Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Muscat Bailey grapes. Kashiwara white blends local Koshu and Chardonnay varieties. King Selby Kawachi red and white wines are also available along with a Katashima sparkling white wine.

The Kawashima sake brewery was founded in 1865. In Japan, Kawashima sake is known by the name ‘Matsu no Hana’ which means ‘pine flower’. The name harks back to a story of the brewery’s founder having to cut down a pine tree, which he was particularly fond of, to build the brewery.

Yoshino Spirits hopes to see its King Selby wines and local sake recognised on the global market.

 

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