Exclusive Interview with Mr. Yoshiharu Takeuchi, President of Takehiro Co. Ltd.
Q: What is your full name, title, company name and company location?
My name is Yoshiharu Takeuchi and I am the president of Takehiro Co., Ltd. based in Otsu-city, Shiga-prefecture, Japan.
Q: What inspired you to open up your own distillery and why did you chose to distill rum over other spirits?
My father is the president of a company here in Japan as well. I have always looked up to my father and realized that someday I wanted to become a founder of a company.
I used to work for the automobile interior industry in their chemical field. With my knowledge and experiences in this field, I decided to take on a new project of my own. I decided I wanted to distill spirits, which is similar to my previous business. So I founded my company in 2013.
As you may know, Japanese whiskey is very famous here in Japan and many companies are producing it, however, there is almost no market in the rum industry. I did notice that worldwide, consumers enjoy drinking rum. This is when I made the decision to make my own rum.
Q: The general public would not associate rum with Japan. Mostconsumers when they think of alcoholic beverages in Japan they immediately think of Saké. But Japan actually grows sugarcane, correct? When was it introduced in Japan and by whom? Any regions in particular that have the most yeild? Based on your distillery’s location, how easy is it for you to receive your raw material? And in what form are you receiving it: sugarcane juice, molasses, etc…? If it is molasses, what grade?
Yes, Japan cultivates its very own sugar cane. It was introduced to the people of Okinawa by the Chinese in the 15th Century, during the samurai generation, and since then it continues to be farmed in this region and it is then taken to markets on the mainland.
To transport the sugarcane, it must be done by sea. To prevent the sugarcane from rotting, they must first boil the pure sugarcane juice to solid bricks (also known as muscovado sugar). The production method is traditional and unchanged, except for the fuel. This operation is the primary material for my rum and it makes it easier to handle.
Q: Last month I interviewed Mr. Dave Boullé from the Seychelles and he talked about the challenges he faces when it comes to importing raw materials, bottles, labels, caps, closures, etc… Are there any logistical issues you face when it comes to receiving your materials in Japan?
Actually I don’t face any type of logistical issues. I am very fortunate in this case.
Q: Where did you gain your knowledge about rum production?
Basically I applied the same methods as one would use when making a whiskey production.
Q: Japanese Whiskey is becoming very popular worldwide. What do you foresee happening to Japanese Rum?
I can only hope that rum will become part of the fixed Japanese alcohol beverage market with consumers and that rum will not just become a temporary fashion.
Q: Your company and rums are named “Nine Leaves”, is there significance behind your choosing this name?
Every Japanese family has a family crest symbol. My family name is “Takeuchi”. The first 4 letters of our family name, “TAKE”, means “bamboo”. Hence, our family crest symbol has 9 bamboo leaves depicted in a circle. I was inspired by our crest; I modified the design to create my company logo and name.
Q: What rums are you currently producing?
• NINE LEAVES Clear - is a very clear, pure unaged rum bottled at 50%. It depicts some fruity aromas with hints of grass.
• NINE LEAVES Angels Half French Oak- aged 6 months in French Limousin barrels and bottled at 50%. The French oak imparts notes of vanilla and fresh wood with fruity notes in the aroma and a strong wood finish from the tannins of the French Oak on the palate.
• NINE LEAVES Angels Half American Oak- aged 6 months in Fresh American oak barrels and bottled at 50%. The aroma and taste of this rum is very similar to the previous rum, but with a subtle note of the wood notes on the palate.
• NINE LEAVES Almost Spring- aged 6 - 12 months in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels and bottled at 48%. This rum has fresh woody notes with a robust fruity body of berries.
• And…. coming soon…• NINE LEAVES Encrypted- All I will say at this time about “Encrypted” is that this rum is a blend of 4 types of 2 year old single casks.
As I had mentioned at the beginning of this interview, I used to work in the automobile industry. So when describing my rums to consumers, I always like to use the analogy of a car manufacturer line up:
When I think of small, medium and large sizes, I often compare them to a sedan, a coupe and a minivan. So for my rum called “CLEAR”, I would compare it to a basic small sedan. For my “Angel’s Half ”, I refer to it as a medium size sedan. For my “ALMOST SPRING ”, which is matured in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels, I like to compare this to a medium sized minivan.
Q: Your rums in your portfolio have been aged in American Oak, French Oak and Cabernet Sauvignon barrels. Many rums in the market are aged in American and French oak barrels, but what made you decide to age your rum in wine barrels, specifically Cabernet Sauvignon barrels?
For me, my own personal guess is that wine barrels seem easier to control than other types of barrels. I may be wrong with my assessment, but I have been extremely satisfied with the results of working with wine barrels.
My distillery is only three years old, very young like a kindergartener. I needed to develop quick maturation, flavors and tastes to expand my portfolio.
Fortunately for me, Japan’s climate has both hot and cold seasons which helps with the aging process for my rums.
Q: Where are your rums currently available for purchase?
I am working with importers such as: France-DUGAS, Germany-Spirit of Rum, Italy-VELIER and in the UK-Specialty Drinks. I have also exported small volumes to Denmark and Australia.
I am currently looking for a Spanish importer to enter my rums into Spain.
Q: How do consumers in Japan like to drink their rum?
They tend to drink the rum straight first and then then enjoy it in cocktails. Japanese enjoy the popular rum-based cocktails such as: the Mojito, the Daiquiri and Piña Colada ( just to name a few).
Because of the uniqueness of the flavor profile of my rums, bar tenders must amend their recipes. Bar tenders that are big fans of my rums will even create their own original recipes using ingredients like: iced coffee, beer and ginger. Some bar tenders who really want to step out on a limb will even use centrifugal separated milk in their cocktail.
Q: What advice do you have for someone who is considering opening up their own distillery, much less being the distiller which is a huge responsibility in itself?
This is a challenging question, but I must say that each country has its own spirits laws, so learn and understand your country’s laws and those of where you would like to one day sell your rum. My other advice is to “launch your company small ”.
I am a micro distillery and so I consider myself like being in Kindergarten. Next, moving into grammer school in the rum world.
Q: Do you have any plans on producing other styles of rums?
Yes, I plan to introduce more aged rums. The style will depend on consumers’ demands based on taste and aroma.
Q: Any plans on producing other spirits in the near future?
This area is under consideration; however it will remain confidential at this time.
Q: Do you have a visitor ’s center and/or do you offer tours of your distillery?
Sorry, No I don’t.
Q: If people want to contact you, how may they reach you?
E-mail is best: takeuchi@nine-leaves.com
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I have traveled Europe and was surprised that many Europeans don’t know that Japan cultivates its own sugarcane and that we actually produce rum. In fact, there are currently eight micro rum distilleries in Japan, with my distillery being the last one established (NINE LEAVES distillery is a hidden micro distillery in the Far East). I encourage you to please come to Japan and explore the “unexplored region” of the Japanese rum world.
Margaret: Again Yoshiharu, thank you so much for this interview and I wish you and your team much success.
Margaret Ayala, Publisher
