Hall of Fame

Jota Tanaka joined Kirin in 1988 after finishing his MSc in agricultural chemistry, specialising in applied microbiology, at Hokkaido University. One year after he joined Kirin, he started his career in winemaking in Napa Valley, California. He then earned a second MSc in food science, specialising in enology, from the University of California at Davis. He moved back to Japan in 1995 and was assigned roles of wine quality assurance and product development at the Fuji-Gotemba plant of Kirin-Seagram, now Kirin Distillery Co. He then moved on to a wine marketing role, representing several wine brand portfolios of Kirin-Seagram, including Sandeman sherry and port. After serving as those brands’ manager for three years, he stepped into whisky making, becoming a blender at Mt. Fuji Distillery.

In 2002, when Four Roses became a sister distillery of Mt. Fuji, Jota was assigned to transfer various functions from Seagram North America Operations and integrate them into Four Roses Distillery LLC. While working in Kentucky as director of quality in charge of product development, he created Four Roses Small Batch and its Limited Edition series, and refined other product portfolios.

After working at Four Roses Distillery with Jim Rutledge, Al Young, and other passionate fellows for seven years, he returned to Japan in 2009. He was appointed as chief blender for Kirin Whisky in 2010, then as master blender in 2017, only the second person to hold that post in 50 years of its history. He was named Master Distiller / Master Blender of the Year in 2017 at the Icons of Whisky awards. He was also recognised by the bourbon whiskey industry in 2019, when he was inducted into the Order of the Writ – Spirit of Kentucky Bourbon society’s inaugural class of members. He was appointed executive fellow on top of master blender in 2019 and played a leading role in the Kirin Whisky business.

Jota has also been actively involved in Japanese whisky industry activities to protect the integrity and reputation of Japanese whisky domestically and internationally, by assisting in the setting of standards for Japanese whisky labelling. Today, he is pouring all of his passion, skill and experience into the flagship whisky brand FUJI.