By this point, most of you will be aware that the Karuizawa Distillery has been revived, with members of the old distilling team coming together to reignite the rich, storied legacy that became a symbol of the unparalleled growth of the Japanese whisky industry over the last two decades. 

The legend was born out of a small distillery that was forced to close its doors after one of the Japanese whisky industry’s famous ‘silent periods’. Soon after, the industry was propelled onto the international stage as popularity boomed and the unique combination of rarity, quality and mystique that Karuizawa whisky possesses turned it into a star of the whisky world overnight. Collector’s began buying bottles of the remaining stock for astronomical prices at auction and the rest, as they say, is history. 

With liquid from the original distillery still fetching incredible prices at auction – just last week a bottle sold for $283,135 USD at Sotheby’s Hong Kong Auction, twice the price it had sold for in 2017 – and the new Karuizawa Whisky Distillery preparing to head into their third full year of production, it’s an exciting time for fans of the legendary brand.

But what does the revival of the Karuizawa Whisky Distillery mean for the future of this global phenomenon and the industry in general? 

What to make of Distillery Revivals

Before we answer that question, it’s first important to understand what a revived whisky distillery actually is. This has been a hot topic of conversation in the industry of late. 

Some seem to hold the opinion that in order to be a true revival, it must be exactly the same as the original distillery in almost every regard.

On the other side of the fence, many have pointed out that this is very rarely the case when it comes to revivals. In fact, even with regard to operational distilleries that have never fallen silent, personnel, location, still shape, whisky style, and many other variables change somewhat regularly.

The point here being that no distillery remains the same forever, so why should we hold this almost impossible criteria up against revived distilleries and use it to decide if they’re authentic or not?

For me, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Continuity in a revival is important, whether that be personnel, location, ingredients, equipment, water source or any combination of these variables. These are the things that made the original distillery’s liquid popular and attracted consumers to their story.

However, whisky is an ever evolving world, with new stories, styles and heroes being the lifeblood that keeps it interesting and relevant. To not allow space for these is to stifle industry and brand growth. 

With the likes of Port Ellen, Rosebank, Karuizawa and, most recently, Dallas Dhu, reopening their doors after long silent periods, it’s an exciting time for consumers as the rich, cherished histories of these brands are set to continue, with new chapters and new whisky. 

To judge these ventures without fully understanding them, visiting the new site or before any whisky has actually been tasted, seems somewhat unfair. Particularly when many of these revivals, such as the Karuizawa Whisky Distillery, are being set up by passionate local entrepreneurs and whisky fans – much like the original distilleries themselves. 

The Karuizawa Revival

The revived Karuizawa Whisky Distillery is an exciting venture founded by Shigeru Totsuka-San, a 16th generation sake brewer from the same prefecture whose family have been producing quality Japanese Sake for over 370 years. 

The Karuizawa Whisky distillery should not be confused with the neighbouring Komoro Distillery in the nearby town of Komoro, whose parent company is rather confusingly called Karuizawa Distillers Inc. They are both separate ventures with very different setups and plans. Ultimately, The Komoro Distillery is calling their whisky “Komoro Single Malt”, with Karuizawa Whisky building on the legacy of the original Karuizawa Distillery, with releases being “Karuizawa Single Malt”.

Totsuka-San had always wanted to open a whisky distillery in the area but of course, timing was key. When the opportunity arose to revive Karuizawa Whisky, he was naturally delighted. He was a big fan of the original distillery and a close friend of the original Master Distiller, Osami Uchibori-San, so this was a dream come true for him. 

Much like the revivals of Port Ellen, Rosebank and others, it was only possible thanks to a strong industry and rampant interest from consumers around the globe.

Continuity of the Old

In Karuizawa, the revival brings back many elements of the original distillery and combines them with a modern approach to community building and brand development, while remaining true to the manual nature of the original’s whisky production methods. 

Nakazato-San, the Master Distiller at the revived Karuizawa Whisky Distillery, was Osami Uchirbori-San’s apprentice at the original distillery. He was responsible for producing a number of top quality whiskies that are rare collectibles on today’s market under the guidance of his mentor.

Uchibori-san was initially employed as an advisor to the revived Karuizawa Distillery, before his sad passing, and it was he who introduced Totsuka-San to Nakazato-San, highlighting that he was his most trusted and capable apprentice and would be perfect for the Master Distillery role.

He has brought with him a wealth of knowledge and distilling expertise from the original and played a central role in choosing the equipment, laying it out in the distillery, deciding on production methods and selecting the ingredients.

The unique stills, built by famous still producer Forsyths and designed from the blueprints of the originals, are complete with the flat bottom and uniquely angled lyne arm that were synonymous with the originals, while the water source, distillery layout, manual processes and commitment to producing quality sherry cask matured whisky are directives brought from the old to the new. On top of that, the casks mature in the same alpine climate and tests have shown angels share so be as low as 1.1%, similar to the that of the original distillery. 

Before its closure in 2000, Karuizawa held the distinction of being the smallest distillery in Japan, producing only approx. 140,000 liters of whisky each year. In its revived form, it produces even less—approximately 95,000 litres annually, which translates to only 400-450 casks per year. This deliberate restraint is reflective of the distillery’s commitment to quality above all.

All of these steps were planned with protecting the Karuizawa Whisky legacy in mind. 

Introduction of the New

While looking to maintain as many of the original processes and techniques as possible, those behind the revived distillery are well aware that the world is a very different place today than it was when the original distillery opened and closed and therefore they need to have a slightly different approach.

The first step they took was to put a 10 year minimum ageing period in place, requiring that any and all casks reach at least 10 years old before bottling. At a time when many distilleries in Japan and around the world are releasing spirit as soon as it becomes whisky, at 3 years old, this unique step helps to ensure that any Karuizawa whisky that makes it into consumers hands will be of the quality expected of the iconic brand. 

Another important consideration for the team was around the fact that Japanese whisky is hugely popular on the international stage today, with millions of consumers around the globe. This simply wasn’t the case when the original distillery was operating and therefore careful planning was required to cater to this audience. 

Totsuka-San and Nakazato-San, much like many other distillers, were determined to turn this audience into an active community of fans and followers. They decided that they would like to build a small community of cask owners, who could join the distillery on their journey. 

To do this, the distillery partnered with dekanta to offer private cask ownership to individuals around the globe, complete with sampling and visitation rights. Karuizawa Whisky has made a very limited number of casks available in this way.

This step is one that many modern distilleries are taking and it has a number of key benefits – namely building the aforementioned community of avid fans, allowing them to visit the distillery and build real relationships with those producing the liquid, and raising cash flow that the distillery can use to operate until such a time when their bottles are ready for market. 

It’s a relatively new approach in the Japanese whisky world but one that has been born out of a desire to build on the legacy of Karuizawa Whisky while remaining true to its core – manual processes, limited production, quality liquid, avid followers. 

The Future

With the distilling team taking extra steps to protect the legacy of what came before and early sampling of the liquid resulting in some fantastic feedback from industry professionals and consumers alike, the future looks bright for the revived Karuizawa Whisky. 

Revivals are a big part of what pushes the modern whisky industry forwards, turning heads and drawing eyes from around the world as millions wait tentatively to sample and critique the liquid. They’re an exciting prospect and, while it is true that protecting the original distillery’s legacy should be at the heart of any revival, they are ultimately a sign of passion, industry growth and exciting times to come and should be given time to thrive.

In the case of the Karuizawa Whisky Distillery, it’s one of many signals that the Japanese whisky industry is still growing and demand for luxury whisky is still very high. With it, people around Japan; entrepreneurs, Master Distillers, sake producers and everyday folk, are developing a huge interest in whisky and are looking to get involved, creating an exciting future for the new generation of whisky-lovers.

It won’t be too long before both old and new Karuizawa will be available on the market at the same time and what an exciting time that will be for Japanese whisky fans around the world.