Episode 527: March 28, 2015

Suntory Holdings CEO Takeshi Niinami is one of Japan’s leading business executives. He’s the first  CEO from outside the founding Torii family, and is also a key economic adviser to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe. He inherited last year’s $16 billion acquisition of Beam when he joined Suntory six months ago, and has been focused on making the deal work while changing Suntory’s internal culture. We’ll discuss the growing pains of the deal, which made Beam Suntory the world’s #3 spirits company, with Takeshi Niinami on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, a preliminary ruling in one lawsuit against a “handmade” spirits maker could be a sign of problems for whisky makers facing similar lawsuits, Four Roses plans another round of construction in Bourbon Country, and milestones mean commemorative bottlings of whiskies from around the world.

Links: Beam Suntory | Maker’s Mark | Four Roses | Jim Beam | Kentucky Bourbon Festival | Ardbeg | Compass Box | English Whisky Company | Woodford Reserve | McTear’s | Feckin Irish Whiskey | Cleveland Whiskey | Armorik