Fuji Gotemba Distillery is celebrating a half-century of operation with the announcement that it will be adding a single malt to its Australian core range portfolio. The Fuji Single Malt will become the third whisky in its always available Australian range, joining the Fuji Single Grain Japanese Whiskey and the Fuji Single Blended Japanese Whisky.

The new release, along with the rest of Fuji Gotemba’s range, has been crafted by industry-legend Jota Tanaka, who is only the second person to hold the position of Master Blender in Japan and who, in 2022, became an inductee of Whisky Magazine Icons of Whisky Hall of Fame. 

“We are excited to release this Single Malt to Australians and share what we are all about at Fuji Gotemba, the world’s only distillery that crafts, mashes, ages and bottles malt and three styles of grain whisky,” said Tanaka. 

Contrasting a large amount of Japanese whisky production, Fuji steers clear of only emulating Scotch whisky styles, and also draws techniques and styles from other whisky-producing regions such as America and Canada. Jota Tanaka himself spent seven years working at the US-based Four Roses distillery.

In creating the Fuji Single Malt, Tanaka started with a Scotch-influenced base that he then gave a contemporary Japanese makeover by using a combination of ex-bourbon, beer, and red-wine casks.

Tanaka describes the final product as having “aromas of ripe apples and Crème Brûlée while the palate takes on luscious ripe white peaches and fruit tart flavours. The finish is sweet, complex and surprisingly long.”

Fuji Single Malt Whisky will join Fuji’s two existing Australian core range whiskies: the Fuji Single Grain Japanese Whiskey and the Fuji Single Blended Japanese Whisky. 

Fuji Single Grain Japanese Whiskey: 

This whiskey is a blend of three types of single grain whisky: one with a profile similar to bourbon whiskey, one with a profile similar to Canadian whiskey, and one with a profile similar to Scotch whisky. The blended product is delicately fruity, with a mellow, multi-layered profile.

The Fuji Single Grain Japanese Whiskey can be purchased here for $140 per bottle.

Fuji Single Blended Japanese Whisky.

An elegant fusion of Scotch-esque malt and three grain varieties, expect a sweet, fruity and rich flavour profile with an enduring silky finish. The whiskies in this blend are aged for up to 16 years.

The Fuji Single Blended Japanese Whisky can be purchased here for $175.

Fuji’s rare and limited editions

Fuji will also bringing three rare and limited edition whiskies into Australia: the Fuji 2022 Masterpiece, the Fuji Single Grain 30 Year Old, and the Fuji Single Malt 50th Anniversary Edition.

More information on these releases in Australia will be available soon.