Japanese Taketsuru Pure Malt discontinued due to whisky shortage

Japanese whisky is facing a shortage crisis after the boom that has taken place in recent years. Following on from famous house such as Yoichi, Hakushu, Hibiki and more, Nikka’s Taketsuru Pure Malt is also putting a halt to sales.

Taketsuru Pure Malt is a blended malt whisky named in honour of Masataka Taketsuru, the founder of Nikka and father of Japanese whisky.

Last week, Nikka made an announcement to Japanese suppliers that it is going to suspend the sales of 4 SKUs from Taketsuru Pure Malt this March. The exact cut off date vary depending on stock availability.

The lines that are going to be discontinued include Taketsuru Pure Malt, Taketsuru Pure Malt 17 Years Old, Taketsuru Pure Malt 21 Years Old and Taketsuru Pure Malt 25 Years Old.

The brand revealed its concern over the whisky shortage, albeit it has been adjusting the production and allocation of the product. However, for the sake of “stable and effective conservation of whisky reserves”, it has decide to suspend sales.

The boom in popularity of Japanese whisky has been disruptive to the industry and has lead many distilleries to face the prospect of running out aged stock. The major companies, including Suntory, Nikka (owned by the Asahi Group) and Kirin, have been cutting down their whisky ranges.

Prior to Taketsuru, Nikka discontinued the entire single-malt series for both its Yoichi and Miyagikyo brands in 2015, followed by the axing of Nikka 12, and temporary discontinuation of Nikka Coffey Malt and Nikka Coffey Grain in early 2019.