Japan’s ambassador to the UK has received a bottle of the Glover whisky from Scotland’s first minister.
John Swinney made the presentation to ambassador Hiroshi Suzuki at a Bute House dinner attended by Japanese business representatives.
A social media post on X (formerly Twitter) of Suzuki tasting a bottle of Irn Bru, and he shared posts highlighting his visit to Auchentoshan distillery.
The Glover is the first whisky marketed as a Japanese-Scotch fusion whisky. Named after the “Scottish Samurai” Thomas Blake Glover from Aberdeenshire who played a key role in Japan in the 19th century, the brand is now enjoying increasing global popularity in its 10th year.
The Glover is produced by Edinburgh-based Fusion Whisky in partnership with Adelphi Distillery and the bottle is from a batch of just 451.
Bottled at 56.4% ABV, producers of The Glover Batch 7 describe it as having aromas of orchard fruit and white peach, with notes of white chocolate, peach, and apple skin on the palate.
Fusion Whisky Founder Jim Millar, who received the Japanese foreign minister’s commendation in 2017 for his work promoting the links between the two countries, said: “We are absolutely delighted Mr Swinney presented a bottle of the Glover to Ambassador Suzuki. The event highlights the purpose behind the brand which is to highlight our historical links and promote future trade and cultural ties. The Glover brand has proved to be hugely popular in Japan where consumers value high-quality products and authenticity.”
Fusion Whisky and Adelphi Distillery have evolved the Glover model, with brands developed with distilleries in Australia, Sweden, the Netherlands, and India, with each edition named after a Scot linked to the country.
Managing director of Adelphi Distillery, Alex Bruce, added: “After a meeting with Fusion Whisky in 2015 I was given the immense honour of sourcing and creating a very special blend of Japanese and Scotch whiskies named after the Scotsman Thomas Blake Glover. Nearly 10 years later and the Glover Malt Whisky continues with the launch of batch no 7, a testament to the distillation prowess of both countries and the wonderful ongoing trading relationship between our own Ardnamurchan Distillery in the West Highlands of Scotland and our friends at Chichibu Distillery in Saitama Prefecture, Japan.”
