l JAPANESE WHISKY

Chichibu Distillery
Towards a 100% Japanese whisky
By Yumi Yoshikawa

Ichiro Akuto’s famous ‘Card Series’ of ‘Ichiro’s Malt’

whiskies have made him famous throughout the
international whisky scene, on to which he burst in 2004. The pot stills at Hanyu Distillery
condition, with Suntory selling around
The journey to this point was long and hard won, but the 120 million bottles of “Suntory Old”
journey since has been even more fascinating. whisky annually, most of which were
consumed in Japan. In contrast,
imports from overseas, particularly

T he Akuto family have a long history

of producing alcoholic beverages in
Chichibu. The local climate and water
san built a new facility in Hanyu, located
34 miles to the north of Tokyo, in which
he produced a range of wines and
those from the European Union with
protected designations, were subject
to high tariffs. In this climate, Ichiro’s
are perfect for making sake, which they spirits, in addition to sake. Isouji-san father Yutaka Akuto-san took the
have done here since 1625, and con- also saw an opportunity for whisky in fateful decision to change the produc-
tinue to this day at Chichibu Kikusui. In the local market and in 1946 a license tion of whisky to a Scotch style single
1941, Ichiro’s grandfather, Isouji Akuto- to begin production was granted. malt, and he installed new stills com-
missioned from a Japanese copper
Hanyu Distillery smith. Care was taken to produce the
These first attempts to make whisky best possible whisky in the Scotch
were made using a continuous steel style, with water being transported
still, in which other types of spirit from Chichibu by tanker, and malt
were also produced, such as Sho- being imported from England and
chu. The grain whisky produced was Scotland.
used to blend with imported Scotch,
as was common practice, and sold in Hard times
the domestic market under names However, the good times for Japa-
such as Golden Horse. This method of nese whisky were not to last. The
production continued happily for over European Parliament noted that
30 years. there was effectively a barrier for
By the 1980’s, the domestic Japa- European products, such as whisky
Chichibu Kikusui, Ichiro’s family sake brewery nese whisky market was in excellent and brandy from entering Japan, with

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Chichibu Distillery
Ichiro knew that his stocks from Hanyu
would someday run dry. So, to pre-
pare for this inevitability, and to leave
something for the next generation, he
decided that the time was right to build
his own distillery.
Ichiro had travelled widely while
planning his own distillery, visiting
many other distilleries to learn the
techniques of distillation for himself.
The first of these training opportuni-
ties was to happen by chance, when
Ichiro met an executive of Mercian
Corporation, owner of the Karuizawa
Distillery, in a bar. The distillery had
been silent since 2000, but Ichiro
asked if he could work in the distill-
The ‘Card Series’ suit of diamonds ery for a few weeks and purchase
ten times more duty being applied sake brewing company that the loss the spirit that he made. This turned
to certain products, such as Scotch to Japanese distilling would be too out to be a very interesting week, as
whisky, than Japanese versions great should these casks be lost, old employees of the distillery came
sold under generic names. Conse- and he agreed to provide space for back to give instruction, and younger
quently, Scotch style whisky was an them. This was to be the beginning of members of staff from the parent
expensive product, allowing those Venture Whisky Ltd. company, Mercian Corporation, came
that produced a competing Japanese to experience whisky making for the
product to also be able to charge a Venture Whisky Ltd first time.
premium. However, this all changed The first product to be released, in
in 1989 with the enforcement of tax 2004, was ‘Ichiro’s Malt Single Vintage
reforms, which saw the price of im- 1988’. Only 600 bottles were produced,
ported whisky fall dramatically. This, but it took two full years for them to
of course, pushed down the price of be sold. Ichiro travelled throughout
domestic whisky and together with Japan, visiting over 2000 bars trying
the greater availability resulted in to sell his whisky. Slowly but surely,
a change of drinking style. People he managed to spread the word and
now preferring the “mizuwari” style interest grew in both Ichiro’s Malt, and
of mixing whisky with 2/3rds water his story.
as a long drink, which unfortunately
does not emphasize the character of The ‘Card Series’
the whisky. Economic decline during This laid the foundations for the
the 1990s was a second blow, and release of Ichiro’s landmark product,
consumers moved towards the more the famous ‘Card Series’, with which
economical Shochu for their mizu- Ichiro would make his name. The ‘Card
waris. Series’ was to consist of 54 unique bot-
Throughout these harsh economic tlings, each named after and featuring
times in Japan, the Hanyu distillery artwork based on all of the playing
struggled on, but by 2000 business cards in a pack, including two jokers.
was so bad that Yutaka-san reluc- Beginning in 2005 with the ‘King of
tantly decided to sell the company. Dimond’s’, a 17 year old single cask
Sadly, the old Hanyu distillery was sherry finish release of 124 bottles,
demolished in 2004, but included the series has emphasised the unique
in the sale was a warehouse hold- character of each cask, and often
ing around 400 casks of whisky. made use of interesting secondary
Amazingly, the new owner planned finishing casks.
to simply reprocess the whisky The whisky was well received by
into Shochu and throw these casks the whisky community, with the card
away to free up space! Ichiro, who series becoming highly prized by both
had been brought in to the family connoisseurs and collectors. Ichiro
company during the sale, knew that was humbled to receive his first award
they must be saved and decided to at the ‘World Whisky Awards’ for the
purchase them himself. Finding an ‘Two of Clubs’ in 2007. This whisky
alternative warehouse for them was, was some of the last to be distilled at
however, not easy. But after much Hanyu in 2000, and was finished in a
searching, Ichiro finally convinced Japanese Mizunara oak hogshead for
Yamaguchi-san of Sasanokawa Shuzo 18 months prior to release. Ichiro training at Karuizawa Distillery in 2006

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a total volume of 20hL at 14°Plato. A

final sparge is run off into a holding
vessel at around 2°Plato, which is then
recycled for the next mashing water.
The draff is then discharged and col-
lected for animal feed.
The eight washbacks each have a
capacity of 31hL, and are constructed
from Japanese Mizunara oak, possibly
the only such ones in use by a whisky
distillery. 10kg of compressed distill-
ers yeast, from Scotland, is added to
the wort, and together with the natu-
ral lactic acid bacteria present in the
wooden washbacks, completes the
fermentation within 70 -90 hours. At
this time, the wash is approximately
7% ABV. The contribution from the
and equipment fully installed over the lactic acid bacteria is very impor-
next few months. In February 2008, the tant to the flavour profile produced,
distillery was granted its manufactur- and Ichiro works to ensure that they
ing license, the first in 35 years, and remain in healthy condition within the
finally production could begin. wood.
The wash is then transferred to
Production the wash still, where, depending of
Malted barley is sourced from England, the character of spirit being produced,
Scotland and Germany, with 400kg the distillation may run for between
being used for each batch. Varieties 6 – 13 hours. The low wines are col-
are constantly changing and include lected at 23% ABV, and then run into
Concerto, Propino and Oxbridge. An the spirit still for the second distilla-
Alan Ruddock AR2000 mill enables tion. This lasts six hours and produces
Ichiro to have tight control over the the new make spirit at 70% ABV. The
grist size, which is vital for mashing heart cut during the second distillation
Training at BenRiach 2007
performance. is decided by nosing and taste only,
A second, and longer, training op- Mashing is conducted in a 24hL because the flavour is always differ-
portunity came at BenRiach distillery mash tun constructed by Forsyths, us- ent due to the different barley varie-
in Scotland, where Ichiro learned ing two batch sparges. The initial mash ties, fermentation profiles and cooling
how to make whisky in the traditional in is at 64°C, which is then run off after water temperature. At the end of distil-
Scottish style from the family owned 90 minutes through a heat exchanger lation, just 200L of new make spirit is
distillery. into the washback at 20°C. The first produced.
In October 2007, the construction sparge is at 76°C, and this similarly The design of the stills, both made
of Chichibu distillery was completed, is run off into the washback to give by Forsyths, is very important for the
character of the whisky produced
at Chichibu. They are designed to
provide a large copper contact surface
area, in relation to their volume,

The Chichibu Distillery Milling local malt with the AR2000

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A ‘distilled’ history of
Japanese whisky
1918 Masataka Taketsuru went to Scotland.
1924 First year of Japanese whisky making.
(Yamazaki distillery starts production.)
1929 First Japanese whisky “Suntory Whisky-
Shirofuda” was put on a market.
1934 Yoichi distillery (Nikka) was founded (Their
first whisky was put on a market in 1940.)
1955 Karuizawa distillery founded.
1969 Miyagikyo distillery (Nikka) was founded.
1973 Hakusyu distillery (Suntory) was founded.
1973 Fuji-Gotemba distillery (Kirin) was founded.
1989 Enforcement of tariff reductions.
2004 VentureWhisky Ltd. was founded.
2008 Chichibu distillery was founded.
2008 Yoichi 1987 won an award at WWA.
The Chichibu wash and spirit stills 2017 Thirteen whisky distilleries now in Japan,
for maximum sulphur impurities is between 3- 5% per year, some- plus five occasionally making whisky.
removal. The necks are wide and what higher than may be expected in
straight, again to give good copper Scotland, due to the greater range of One of these, Maruesu cooperage,
contact time by slowing the speed of temperatures experienced in Chichi- located in Saitama prefecture be-
the vapour. The line arms are declined bu. In summer, temperatures reach gan working with the distillery, each
at around 15° to the horizontal, to as high as 35°C, while in winter they year taking in Ichiro and his staff
trap the heavy distillates. All this is can plunge to -10°C in the morning to instruct them in the art of bar-
designed to produce a rich, heavy, yet and at night. rel making. However, Saito-san, the
complex spirit. owner, wished to retire, and in 2013
The new make spirit is filled into a Quercus mongolia announced that he would be closing
large variety of casks which previously The Mizunara oak (Quercus mongo- the cooperage, and selling his old
held other spirits, such as brandy, lia) twists as it grows, which makes outdated equipment for scrap. Ichiro
sherry, bourbon, port, rum, wine cooperage of them difficult. Each year, once again found himself in a familiar
and even grappa. Ichiro also uses Ichiro visits the lumber auction in Hok- position, and purchased the equip-
first fill Mizunara oak casks, which kaido, where he may select just a few ment so that he could learn how to
although difficult to maintain, provide logs that are straight enough to make use it himself, and someday make
unique flavour profiles reminiscent of casks from. They are dried for a few his own casks. Fortunately, Saito-san
sandalwood and agalloch - a resinous months before being transported to agreed to also continue his training,
aromatic wood used in many Asian the saw mill to be cut in to planks. The and now visits Chichibu several times
countries. These are stored in the planks must then be dried for several a year to teach the staff there.
distilleries own dunnage, constructed years, before they are finally suitable
in the traditional Scottish style with for cooperage. Floor Malting
a compacted soil floor. This helps to At the time when Ichiro was Ichiro has also been learning how to
keep the air moist and regulates the searching for someone to make his floor malt barley in the traditional
temperature, protecting the casks Mizunara casks, there were only two way, as he believes that this gives
from rapid changes. The angels share independent cooperagesww in Japan. important character to the whisky

A B C

(a) Inspecting logs at Hokkaido, (b) This one looks good!, (c) Detail of the medullary rays

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A B C

(a) Saito-san at his Maruesu cooperage, (b) Rows of his fine casks, (c) The end of an era

than cannot be achieved by other at Chichibu, and by 2014 locally in continual use, with malting being
methods. Since 2008, Ichiro and his grown barely was being malted here. carried out two or three times each
production team have travelled to Chichibu is famous for its buckwheat month.
Crisp maltings at Great Ryburgh, noodles, and so a local farmer was
England, where they have been asked to grow barley as a second- Chichibu today
learning about the process so that ary crop. Just 10% of the malt used Chichibu distillery now produces a
they may do it themselves. In 2012 comes from this locally grown source wide range of malt whiskies, often
a malting house was constructed at the moment, which amounted to of limited bottlings. The hope is to
A
15 tonnes in 2014, but as the qual- become the first distillery to produce
ity has so far been excellent, the a 100% Japanese whisky, using locally
acreage is now being enlarged. Since grown barley and wood. Emphasis
2016 the floor maltings have been is now being put on the construction
techniques used for the cooperage of
the Mizunara casks, which have so far
had issues with leakage and subse-
quent low yields. The possibility of
producing staves by splitting the wood,
rather than sawing, is being investigat-
ed, in the hope that this may produce
staves that have a greater resistance
to leakage.
The Chichibu distillery is now well
B established in the Japanese whisky
scene, with many newer distillers
coming to visit Ichiro for help and
guidance. Trainees are gladly taken in
to help spread expertise, because it
is believed that for Japanese whisky
to be successful there must be more
distilleries, and they must also pro-
duce a quality a product to maintain
Splitting logs for staves the reputation of the whole category.

(a) Harvesting local barley, (b) Floor malting at Chichibu, (c)

Germination day 3 The Chichibu Distillery team

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