New Japanese Distillery Revives the Legendary Karuizawa Whisky

Friday, 06 January 2023 at 12:00Dekanta

Sometimes a distillery disappears after producing countless delicious whiskies. So was the case with the Karuizawa distillery in Japan which closed its doors in 2012, selling its premises and remaining whisky to fade into the annals of history. Luckily, in this instance, it's not the end of the story.

FAQ:

What happened to the old Karuizawa Distillery?
The Japanese distillery was closed and eventually demolished. The remaining whisky was sold off.
How is it that the distillery is making a comeback?
A new life has been breathed into the brand, thanks to a collaboration with Dekanta.
Will the distillery be relocated to its original location?
No, but it will stay in the same city.

The Return of Karuizawa Distillery

21 years after its closure, Karuizawa is springing back to life in a new guise. Two companies are joining forces, authorized to use the name, with the aim of reviving the brand. These two trailblazers are none other than the newly minted Karuizawa Whisky Co. and the Japanese beverage specialist Dekanta.

The distillery was built by Shigeru Totsuka-san and his investors. Totsuka-san has always dreamed of owning his own distillery and is now realizing his dream with the Karuizawa distillery in the city that shares its name, nestled in the Japanese mountains.

The new master brewer, Totsuka-san, isn't short of experience. He has brought Yoshiyuki Nakazato on board, a veteran of the original Karuizawa distillery, to serve as master distiller. Furthermore, Osami Uchibori, another ex-Karuizawa employee, has been employed as an advisor. With an already established, specialised experience at hand, Karuizawa has reopened and started the production of its whisky.

Karuizawa Asks for a Little Patience

Before a filled bottle exits the Karuizawa doors, it will take some time. However, the barrels have already been ordered from Spain - sherry casks specifically. Meanwhile, preparations are in full swing to mature the spirit.

The aim is to create a whisky as magnificent as the original, but that means we will need to wait quite some time before tasting the first batch. The original recipe called for 10 years of aging, a tradition the revived version also intends to follow.

However, we won't have to wait a full decade for spirits from this factory. Even though there will be no new-make releases, there are plans to release the whisky after 3, 5, and 7 years. These, according to Totsuka, will be blends. There are talks to use Scotch and Irish whiskeys in these blends, but it hasn't been finalised yet. As far as the bottles go, there's already certainty - Dekanta will handle these.