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According to the Kyodo News, Beam Suntory is set to discontinue Hakushu 12 Year Old this month and Hibiki 17 Year Old in September, citing surging demand and a lack of stock to meet it.
This announcement follows Nikka, Japan’s other large whisky-maker, announcing that they would postpone entering new markets due to similar supply issues.
For all the talk of a bourbon shortage in the United States, one only needs to look at Japan to see what a true whisky shortage looks like. These recent moves come after years of struggling to meet the high international popularity of Japanese whiskies. In 2015, Suntory responded to the high demand by raising prices across the board, while Nikka discontinued all age statement brands and reorganized their product lines accordingly.
