With the current degree of popularity of Riwei, if you don't collect a few bottles of Riwei, you always feel that something is missing.
However, you must also know that the history of Japan and Weiwei is too short, and now there are very few laws and regulations. In Japan, as long as it is a whisky bottled in Japan, it can be called Japanese whisky. This means that the Daywell you bought may be:
Distilled and matured in other countries, directly bottled and sold in Japan;
Distilled in another country, matured in a wooden barrel in Japan for a period of time, and then bottled and sold;
Original whisky from other countries is mixed with original whiskey distilled from Japan and bottled.
Now Riwei is so expensive, spending a lot of money to buy it, it is actually "pseudo-Riwei"?! The heart is dripping blood.
In order to buy "Machiniwa", you can start by learning about Japanese whisky distilleries.
Malt Whisky Yearbook 2019 provides an inventory of the vast majority of japanese distilleries currently producing. Combined with the Whisky Yearbook 2019 and the Japanese Whisky Encyclopedia, the Wine Encyclopedia has compiled this full list of Japanese whisky distilleries (running distilleries, closed distilleries are not on this list).
Note: The following wineries are listed in order of establishment.
1, Yamazaki
Established: 1923
Production: 6 million liters
Yamazaki, part of the Suntory Group, was Japan's first whisky distillery, and founder Torii Shinjiro founded the Torii store in 1899, when it sold imported wine and slowly accumulated capital.
In 1923, Torii Shinjiro built Yamazaki, Japan's first whisky brewery, in Yamazaki, southwest of Kyoto, and invited Masataka Taketsuru, who had returned from his studies in Scotland, to join him. Later, due to the disagreement of ideas, Takezuru Masataka left Yamazaki.
Originally distilled from Yamazaki, the original whisky was used to blend whisky, and in 1984, the first single-wheat whisky, Yamazaki, was introduced for 12 years, which was also the first single-wheat whisky in Japan. At present, the main single wheat products are Yamazaki 1923 (no year), Yamazaki 12 years, Yamazaki 18 years, Yamazaki 25 years, and limited editions of Yamazaki 1984 years, Yamazaki sherry barrels, Yamazaki 50 years and so on.
In 2003, Yamazaki's 12-year single wheat whisky won the Gold Medal at the International Spirits Challenge (ISC). It was the first Japanese whisky to receive a gold medal at ISC. Since then, Yamazaki has been hanging all the way and has been invincible in major whisky competitions.
However, Yamazaki's rise to the world's attention is attributable to the leading whisky critic Jim Murray, who in his book Whisky Bible 2015 named Yamazaki Sherry Cask the "Best Whisky of the Year" and received a super high score of 97.5.
Yamazaki's 50-year-old single wheat whisky is considered the pinnacle of Riwei. In August 2018, a bottle of Yamazaki 50 Years (first edition) was auctioned off for HK$2,695,000, converted to about RMB2.38 million at the then-current exchange rate, making it the most expensive single bottle of Japanese whiskey ever.
2. Yushi
Established: 1934
Production: 2 million liters
In March 1934, Masataka Takezuru left Yamazaki because Nobujiro Torii believed that Nichiui should be localized to meet the tastes of the Orientals, while Masataka Takezuru adhered to the traditional Scottish style. So Masataka Takezuru set up yoichi distillery in Hokkaido, which has a very similar climate to Scotland, and set up his own company, Daijō Juice Co., Ltd., which became Nikka.
Due to limited funds, there was only one still in operation at the beginning. Masataka Takezuru's original intention was to produce something that could be sold immediately (juice) to invest in products (whisky) that would take years to ship. In 1940, the first Yushi whiskies were born in the smoke.
Yushi is one of the few distilleries in the world that still uses charcoal direct-fire distillation of whisky, which requires very skilled craftsmen to do so. In Scotland, this heating method was used until the 1970s, after which most wineries switched to steam indirect heating, which made it easier to control the temperature and lower labor costs. Yijia believes that coal direct heating plays an important role in shaping the "distinctive and grilled toasty taste" characteristics of Yushi whisky.
Masataka Takezuru firmly believes that "nature and terroir will shape the personality of whisky". The Yushi wine cellar is a land floor, the barrels are stacked on two floors at most, and the bee fighting vegetables naturally grow around the simple factory building. Factory director Junichi Sugimoto explains: "It is only 900 meters from the coast of the Sea of Japan. Although it is also impossible to prove, the action of the sea breeze also gives the original wine a complex aroma. ”
During the downturn in Japan and The 1980s, Yushi made various adjustments with the goal of "producing the world's first malt whisky". These efforts paid off 20 years later, with Yoichi 1987 20 Year Old awarded the title of "World's Best Single Wheat Whisky" at the 2008 World Whisky Grand Prix (WWA). However, it should be noted that, similar to Yamazaki, Yuichi did not produce single-wheat whiskey at the beginning, and it was not until 1984 that the first bottle of single-wheat Yushi was launched for 12 years, which was a few months behind Yamazaki's 12-year single-wheat.
3. Miyagi Gorge
Established: 1969
Production: 3 million liters
As the second son of the Iichi whisky family, Miyagiyo seems to be more low-key and freer than its big brother, Yuichi in Hokkaido. As the Whisky Yearbook 2015 writes: "If the brother-like Yushi Distillery is the defender of all traditions, then the Miyagi Gorge Distillery has a lot of room for innovation." ”
In the 1960s, Masataka Takezuru wanted to make more different malt original wines to meet market demand, allowing the company to produce more and more complex blended whiskies. He eventually spent several years building a new factory in Miyagi, the main island of Japan, in 1969 and naming it after the nearby city of Sendai, until 2001, when it was renamed miyagi Gorge.
In addition to malt whisky, Miyagi Gorge also produces grain whiskey, gin, and other alcoholic beverages. It wasn't until 1989 that the distillery introduced the first single-wheat whisky, Miyagi Gorge 12 years. Although Miyagi Gorge also produces a variety of flavored whiskies, the main tone is still a fragrant fruit flavor, the taste is gorgeous, light, smooth, sweet, if the malt of Yushi is a powerful man, then the malt of Miyagi Gorge is a soft woman.
In 2015, Ichigo unexpectedly announced the suspension of all major product lines, replaced by Yuichi and Miyagi Gorge helpless milk powder single wheat whisky, which some people called "the shock of Ichigo". In order to alleviate the impact of the suspension, Ichiko issued 2 limited edition products, Yushi Heavy Peat Single Mc Whisky and Miyagi Gorge Sherry Barrel Single Mc Whisky, each limited to 3,000 bottles, but soon sold out.
Around 2020, There will be enough vintage wines in Yuichi and Miyagi Gorge to offer to the market. Until then, if you want to find a first-class single-wheat whiskey, I am afraid that there are only 2 no vintages.
In addition to Yushi and Miyagi Gorge, Yijia also has a very important pure wheat (100% barley brewing but the original sake comes from different distilleries) brand - Taketsuru (Taketsuru), the main products are bamboo crane pure wheat (no year), bamboo crane 17 years, bamboo crane 21 years. After NHK TV broadcast the TV series "A Zheng", the deeds of Masataka Takezuru became widely known in Japan, and the Bamboo Crane series was also extremely popular.
4. Know more
Established: 1972
Yield: Unknown
Chita, part of the Suntory Group, was established in 1972 and produces raw grain whiskey, with corn as the main ingredient. However, after 1985 its scope has expanded to include the production of non-grain whiskies. Continuous distillation is used here, which is a column distillery in 4 different combinations, producing a clear and elegant liquor.
Chita distilled grain whisky original wine is mostly used to blend blended whiskies, Suntory's blended whiskies include Hibiki, Toki( toki), Horn Bottle (Kakubin), which is currently the world's most expensive blend whisky on wine searcher, and has also won the WWA "World's Best Blended Whisky" title for many times. According to Satoshi Tachibana, director of the Suntory Planning Department in Taiwan, Chita is a "soup-like character", with light, medium and heavy original sake with different personalities, and through its taste, the taste of malt whisky is introduced to blend different flavors of whisky.
In September 2015, Suntory launched the chita Single Grain Whisky, a blend of about 10 grain originals, aged in shirley, bourbon and wine barrels, and won a silver medal in the International Spirits Competition (ISC) just one year after its launch.
5, Hakushu
Established: 1973
Hakushu is located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Shirashu, Japan, in the Minami Alpine National Park northwest of Tokyo, bordered by Mt. Hachitake to the north and Mount Komagata to the west, surrounded by dense forests and numerous springs, and is known as a "forest distillery" with a forest coverage rate of 80%. At an altitude of about 700 meters, it is one of the highest distilleries in the world.
Whisky at the White State Distillery was originally used as a base for blending whisky. In 1994, White State 12-year single-wheat whisky was launched. At present, the main single-wheat whisky products are Baizhou 1973 (no vintage), Baizhou 12 years, Baizhou 18 years, and Baizhou 25 years.
As one of Japan's top single wheat brands, Shirasu is very eye-catching in the international market. Baizhou 12 years won the first place in the 2015 International Whisky Competition (IWC) World's Best Whisky Competition, and Baizhou 25 years was also named "World's Best Single Wheat Whisky" by WWA in 2018.
The same as the suntory whisky core single wheat brand, Baizhou has always existed in the shadow of its big brother Yamazaki, sales have not been very good, until 2011 sales were only 1/7 of Yamazaki, but in 2012 began to improve the situation, because the market demand for high-end Riwei increased, to 2016 Baizhou sales only lagged 1/3 behind Yamazaki.
In terms of taste, Yamazaki is like a mellow and restrained mature man, with rich and gorgeous aromas of red berries, tea leaves, dried fruits, and herbs; Shirashu is like a child of the forest, highlighting the creamy texture and fresh flowers and aromas of tropical fruits, the overall style is extremely beautiful, the most oriental charm.
6. Fuji Gotenba
Fuji-Gotemba is located at the foot of Mt. Fuji, more than 600 meters above sea level, and 45% of the factory area is forested, making it a beautiful postcard place. Founded in 1973 by Kirin, Joseph E. Seagram & Sons and Chivas Brothers, the Kirin Group took full control of the distillery in 2002.
Fuji Gotemba is also one of the few distilleries in Japan that produces single malt whisky and grain whisky at the same time. The fermentation and brewhouses are made of stainless steel, and the pot stills are not large. The grain whiskies produced by its continuous distillers are generally used for blending purposes.
Fuji Goten venues pursue a light fruit flavor, and only small oak barrels are used for storage, so that the contact area between the oak barrels and the original sake is increased, and the aroma is more mellow.
Because of its large bottling plants, and the Facto Group is also an agent for many foreign liquor brands, Fuji Gotemba Distillery also bottles wine from other distilleries, such as the well-known bourbon four roses, from which it is bottled.
The original sake produced by the distillery is mainly used to make blended whiskies, including 50 degrees of cooking at the foot of Mt. Fuji and Signature Blend in the foothills of Mt. Fuji, and the brand of Mt. Fuji also has single wheat products. After 2000, small batches of single wheat and single grain whisky products began to increase, such as Fuji Gotemba small batch of 25-year single grain (which won the "World's Best Grain Whisky" award) and Fuji Gotemba small batch of 17-year single wheat, but it brought many surprises.
7, Akashi
Established: 1984
Production: 60,000 liters
The Akashi Distillery (White Oak) belongs to Eigashima Shuzo. Eoi Island Distillery obtained whisky licenses as early as 1919, but it was not until the 1960s that small distillers were installed to produce whisky. However, whisky accounts for a very small part, and the main business is sake, wine and shochu.
In the 1980s, Sales reached an all-time high, so in 1984 a new distillery was built, Akashi. Akashi also produces sake and shochu, and as demand for Japanese whisky skyrockets, the production of whisky has been extended. The malt required for each whisky production period before 2013 was about 40 metric tonnes, doubling in 2016 to 100 tonnes in 2017. This was the limit of capacity before the production equipment was upgraded.
The distillation method of distillery whisky is improved on the method of shochu, so it has a very local personality, light and subtle. In addition, in addition to bourbon and shirley barrels, the distillery also uses its own shochu barrels to age the original whiskey, which also makes it very local.
Eoi Has always wanted to make blended whiskies that are reasonably priced and easy to drink. The first single-wheat whisky (8-year-old single-wheat) was launched in 2007, using the new brand name Akashi (also called Akashi), which is just to distinguish it from their blended whisky brand White Oak.
Due to loose inventory management, Akashi early introduced 5-year, 8-year, and 12-year single-wheat and some limited editions for original barrel strength bottling. Now the inventory is seriously insufficient, so it can only launch a single wheat without a year (black label), and then launch a yearless blend (the same hang Akashi brand, white label).
8, Mars Shinshu
Established: 1985
Production: 70,000 liters
Mars Shinshu Distillery (Mars Shinshu) belongs to Hombo Shuzo Co. Ltd.）。 We first established a cotton factory in Kagoshima in 1872 and began producing shochu in 1909. In 1949, honmei obtained a whisky production license and established a distillery with the help of Kiichiro Iwai. Kiichiro Iwai was once the boss of Masataka Takezuru, who gave him a "Whisky Internship Report" when he returned from his studies in Scotland. At that time, the whiskies produced by our house were heavier, smoked and bamboo crane-style whiskies.
At that time, the wine continued to grow, the whisky was widely ripe, and the wineries in Yamanashi Prefecture were already fully used to produce wine. In 1985, Honmei purchased a new sake brewery in Shinshu, Nagano Prefecture, and the original Iwai still was moved from Yamanashi to Shinshu, but this time Honmei decided to switch to a lighter style, which they thought was more in line with Japanese preferences.
The environment was not good, and mars Shinshu Distillery had to decide to stop production. From 1992 to 2008, no whisky was produced in the distillery. Demand for whisky rose and the Mars Shinshu distillery opened again in 2011.
Mars Shinshu Steaming House is best known for its single-wheat whiskey komagatake, which has been sold out for nearly 20 years, leaving few original sake in stock, the series' high vintages have been discontinued, and some of the occasional limited editions have been snapped up in an instant.
The distillery launched its first reopened work in 2014, komagatake Revival 2011, which was ripened in three-year barrels, followed by a year-less single-wheat series of Nature of Shinshu, such as gentian (Rindo) and Rohiganzakura, which are blended with new and old sake.
9, Sabromaru
Established: 1990
Production: 0.7 million liters
Saburomaru is part of Wakatsuru Shuzo, which dates back to 1862 as a sake distillery and licensed for whisky in 1952. Originally, Wakazuru launched a very cheap blended whisky brand, Sunshine.
Wakazuru's single-wheat whisky brand was named Saburo Maru, which is the name of the distillery and the place name of the location of the distillery. The first Sanro Maru was released in 2016, the 1960 55-year single wheat of The Saburo Maru, the oldest single-wheat whisky issued in Japan at the time. In 2016, Saburo Maru raised 38.255 million yen to renovate the distillery through Internet crowdfunding, and it was completed and put into operation at the end of 2018.
In 2017, Saburo Maru launched a limited blended whisky collection called Moon Glow. Four wines have been introduced under the series, each of which is a blend of malt whiskies that are over 20 years old and grain whiskies that are 10 years old, so each wine is 10 years old.
10, Chichibu
Established: 2007
Speaking of Chichibu, it is necessary to mention the well-known sake brewery Hanyu, which has closed, because both distilleries were founded by the Sake family, the Hito family.
Like many distilleries, Yusei did not escape the economic downturn of the 1990s and was forced to shut down in 2004. Ichiro Akuto, a descendant of the Hito family, returned to his hometown Chichibu with more than 400 barrels of habu's original sake, and in 2007 began building a new chichibu distillery to brew new whiskies while bottleding Habu's original sake, including the Habu poker series, which is now selling at sky-high prices.
Hito Ichiro is arguably the most barrel-savvy guy in the japanese whisky industry. Half of chichibu's wines are matured in bourbon barrels from Heaven Hill, Buffalo Trace, Marker's Mark, Four Roses, Jack Daniel, and bourbon barrels from different wineries can give whisky subtle differences, such as meg's barrels that have a very delicate and gentle effect on whisky, Mount Aven that brings vanilla and sweetness, and Jack Daniel that brings more fruit and freshness.
The other half of Chichibu Distillery's liquor is filled with shirry barrels, wine barrels, port barrels, madeira barrels, cognac barrels, water guss, rum barrels, tequila barrels, pomace brandy barrels, beer barrels, and so on.
Almost all Chichibu single-wheat whiskies are listed in single barrel bottles, they are not very old, mostly in the unalturned version, and the price on the second-hand market is surprisingly high. Chichibu's closest thing to a "standard" is the limited edition in the picture below, which is extremely difficult to buy.
11. Okayama
Established: 2011
Okayama distillery belongs to Miyashita Shuzo. Miyashita Sake Brewery is a multi-purpose sake brewery located in Okayama City, which originated in 1915 and began to make only sake, then expanded to roast beer, entered the whisky field at the hottest time in Nichichy, and obtained a whisky production license in 2011.
Initially brewed and fermented with beer production equipment, distilled with shochu stainless steel stills, the whisky made is obviously not ideal. So in 2015, the distiller was customized from abroad. What's unusual about a new winery is that most of their barrels are sherry and brandy barrels, as well as expensive water lintel barrels.
In 2016, some mature whiskies were bottled ahead of time for department stores. It starts with a new wine, followed by a 6-12 month vintage in a shelly barrel.
12, Akkeshi
Established: 2015
Production: 40,000 liters
Akkeshi Distillery (Akkeshi), a tokyo-based import and export firm (kenten), is located in the town of Atsugishi in Hokkaido (a place near the sea, surrounded by wetlands, rich in peat coal, and nearby with precious Resources of Japanese water bottles), and is the second whisky distillery (the first was Yuichi).
Akkeshi's ultimate goal is to produce 100% high-quality Japanese whisky, i.e. using Japanese barley, Japanese peat, Japanese water and Japanese oak barrels to brew pure Japanese whisky, although this goal will take a long time to achieve.
In order to achieve this goal, the distillery has also done many experiments so far, such as the purchase of original sake from Chichibu and Akashi Breweries in 2013 for oak barrel maturation experiments, and small batch distillation experiments before the official operation.
At present, Akkeshi has released 3 products called Atsugi anew Born. Used for at least 3 years of barrel ripening that has not been specified by Nova, the labels of these three products are "single malt spirit" instead of "single malt whisky".
13. Anji
Production: 42,000 litres
In 2004, Ichiro Hito brought back 400 barrels of original sake from the defunct Habu Sake Factory, and Sasanokawa Shuzo agreed to keep the sake in his warehouse and mature until the new Chichibu Distillery was mature. It can be said that without the generosity of Sasanokawa, there may not be a bottle of Habu whiskey that is difficult to find now.
Founded in 1765, Sasanokawa produces sake and shochu, and was licensed to produce whisky in 1946. But at that time they only wanted to produce the lowest-grade blended whiskies, and later imported whole barrels of whiskey from Scotland, and the blended alcohol was made of molasses.
In 2015, the 250th anniversary of Sasanokawa, demand from Riwei peaked, but their supply reached its lowest point. Therefore, it was decided to establish a malt whisky distillery that met the regulations, and the Asaka Distillery was born.
Originally named Cherry, Sasanokawa launched a whisky brand called Cherry, and later added a top-of-the-line collection called Yamazakura, consisting of 1 yearless blend, 2 yearless wheat and 1 18-year-old wheat, most of which are from Scotland and a small part from Japan. It will take a little time to see the whisky produced by Anji Distillery on the market.
14. Shizuoka
The gold lords behind the Shizuoka Distillery, like Atsushi, are their first attempts at spirits production. The distillery was conceived by Daihang Nakamura, founder of Gaia Flow. He was fascinated by high-quality wines and, after visiting the Scottish isles of Herey and Gila, he had the idea of starting a whisky distillery.
He enlisted the help of Chichibu Distillery Hito Ichiro and formed a spirits company, Gaia Flow Distilling. After years of searching, we finally set up a sake brewery in Shizuoka City at the right place. And in March 2015, Nakamura won a lot of brewing equipment left behind by Karuizawa at an auction. Nakamura said the Shizuoka Distillery's goal is to produce soft, delicate whiskies.
15. Changbin
Established: 2016
At its founding, Nagahama was the smallest distillery in Japan at the time. It took only 7 months to create the distillery, a world record, because it wasn't starting from scratch, and the Nagahama distillery was actually part of Nagahama Roman. The saccharification and fermentation of whisky can be carried out using beer production equipment, and distillation can be carried out in a small distillation chamber.
The first distilled new wines were placed in water gulls, but most of them were still put into Bourbon barrels. Nagahama knows that current whisky fans are impatient, so he will find a way to give them a taste of some of the products that are still under development. 2017 Grandma Spring, 500 bottles of peat-free new wine are on the market. A DIY maturation set was also introduced, including a super-small American white oak barrel (1 liter) and a new bottle of wine that customers can add themselves to the oak barrel.
Nagahama's new sake is very durable, thick, fruity, with a faint floral aroma and a solid cereal sweetness.
16. Eda
Production: 0.5 million liters
Nukada distillery is the most low-key in Riwei, and probably not even many avid whisky fans have ever heard of this name. It is affiliated with Kiuchi Shuzo.
Originating in 1823, Kiuchi Brewery is a traditional sake brewery that expanded into beer in the 1990s and has a very famous beer brand, Hitachino Nest.
The first distillation at the Eda Distillery was in February 2016, when whisky and beer (high-alcohol, barrel-barreled beer) were distilled at the same time, so whisky is still small.
Eda's goal was to make a genuine Japanese whiskey, so he deliberately did not refer to Scottish techniques and methods, and invited the former chief bartender of Suntory and Shui Jingyi as independent consultants. But these are not for the sake of innovation, but ultimately for the production of delicious whiskey.
17. Mars Jinguan
Production: 90,000 liters
Honmei brewery has built a new Mars Tsunuki distillery in Kagoshima to explore a completely different malt whisky – making natural environmental conditions work.
The distillation of the Mars Shinshu Distillery takes place at high altitudes, while the Mars Jinjin is located a stone's throw away from the sea. Mars Tsukan is also the southernmost whisky distillery in Japan.
Mars Tsukan began distilling on October 27, 2016, so there aren't many warehouses yet, but their new products are of top quality and will continue to be produced in recent years.
18. Kanosuke
Established: 2017
Production: 110,000 liters
There are now 2 new breweries in Kagoshima that are in full operation, the youngest of which is the Kanosuke Distillery founded by Komasa Jozo.
Kosho Brewing is Kagoshima's leading shochu producer, and in 2015 came the idea to produce whisky. After kanosuke officially opened, in order to increase the diversification of products, the distillery used distillers of different materials, sizes, and shapes, and mixed different types of distillates.
18. Sakurao
Established: 2018
Sakurao is the first whisky distillery in Hiroshima, Japan, and the owner behind it is Chugoku Jozo. Originally a sake brewer, China Brewery may want to become a new player in single-wheat whisky and gin through The Sakurao Distillery. Its single-wheat whiskey products are not yet on the market, but gin is already on the market.
Key References:
The Complete Book of Japanese Whisky, by Stefan Van Eycken, translated by Bowen Xie
"The Collapse of Japan? So, is Japanese whisky still "poured"? Whiskey Channel
"Why Japanese Whisky Is Globally Recognized" NIPPON.COM
"Bottle Enjoyment | The Second Dream of the Father of Japanese Whisky: Miyagi Gorge
"Yamazaki, Yuichi, Habu, Karuizawa, a detailed explanation of Japanese big-name whisky" Chimi Wine Magazine
"Under Mt. Fuji, there is such a whisky distillery hidden!" Spirits Chronicles
Two WWA Blessings! Saburo Maru Distillery Moon Glow Blend Whisky Series! Drinking life
"[New Products on Sale] Japanese Famous Rare 100% Water Lintel Barrel Single Wheat Whiskey, Special Long Neck Bottle" Red Wine Encyclopedia
whisky.suntory.com
www.nomunication.jp