A new Japanese whisky from Mount Fuji’s only distillery arrives stateside after 50 years of production, blending traditional Scottish, Canadian, and American techniques in a single facility.
Fuji Single Malt Combines Five Decades of Japanese Whisky Heritage
The Fuji Gotemba Distillery has released its first single malt whisky in the United States, priced at $99.99. The 92-proof expression uses water that takes 50 years to filter through Mount Fuji’s volcanic rock before reaching the distillery’s aquifer.
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The distillery stands 7.5 miles from Mount Fuji’s peak and has operated since 1973. It remains the world’s only whisky facility producing both malt and three different styles of grain whiskies under one roof.
Master Blender Jota Tanaka, only the second in the distillery’s history, selected 100% Japanese malts for the blend. The whisky aged in American white oak and French oak red wine barrels.
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“I wanted to pay homage to the FUJI Gotemba Distillery by blending carefully selected 100% Japanese malts—all produced on-site using the pure, snowmelt-fed waters of Mt. Fuji,” Tanaka said. “By combining traditional techniques with new innovations, we created a single malt that’s delicately fruity with a hint of honey and a rich, evolving finish.”
Japanese Whisky Release Features Fruit-Forward Profile
The official tasting notes describe a nose of peach, apple, pineapple, and citrus peel with hints of honey and crème brûlée. The palate offers white peach, apricot, oatmeal cookies, and fruit tart flavors. The finish is moderately sweet with multiple layers.
The distillery employs Scottish copper pot stills, Canadian-style multi-column distillation, and American bourbon production methods. This combination of international techniques distinguishes Fuji from other Japanese whisky producers.
Fuji Whisky recently appeared on the cover of Whisky Advocate’s 2024 Japan Issue. The publication also named a Fuji expression to its “Top 20 Whiskies of the Year” 2023 list.
The single malt joins Fuji’s existing U.S. portfolio and is currently available in over 20 states. The volcanic soil, forest surroundings, and misty climate at the Gotemba site create specific aging conditions for the distillery’s products.
The release represents the latest entry in the competitive Japanese whisky market, where producers increasingly emphasize provenance and traditional methods. Fuji’s integration of three distinct whisky-making traditions at a single location offers a different approach to the category’s typical focus on Scottish-inspired techniques.
