The fascinating journey of truly authentic Japanese Whisky**
The category now classified as authentic Japanese Whisky almost never came to be. Japanese distillation of Western-style spirits began in the 1920s, but by the early 1990s the industry seemed destined to fail. Japanese consumers had all but abandoned the mostly lower proof, adjunct riddled, poor quality spirits that dominated the Japanese “whisky” market – these spirits meant to attract customers with low prices and gimmicks had absolutely flopped. The few distilleries that endured this difficult time reverted to producing a facsimile of traditional Scottish whisky, but they too faced economic demise due to sharply increased competition as taxation and duties on imported products lowered.
About 20 years after the collapse of the 1990s, intrepid and visionary Japanese distiller-entrepreneurs sought to try again. This time, unrestrained by tradition or convention or conventional wisdom, with the purpose of creating spirits born of their own, intrinsic ethos.
Their vision: To create flavors and aromas unheard of in traditional whisky by experimenting and innovating along every facet of the process - meticulously exploring how different raw ingredients could be utilized throughout an array of brewing, fermentation, distillation, and wood aging techniques. The artistic and technical execution of this mindset has yielded flavors, aromas, and textures that are simply not available in other realms of whisky.
Adding to the overall identity of Japanese whisky, qualifying distilleries do not exchange stock. All blends, varieties and styles are done in-house. This further drives curiosity, experimentation and innovation. Always with the ultimate goal of expanding the arc of flavor /aroma possibilities.
As you can imagine, the world class status of Kiuchi’s Hitachino Nest beer and sake brewery gives the Kiuchi distillation team unique insights into this new venture. They immediately recognized the special sensory world they could create by using some of their complex high ester producing ale yeasts, the highest quality sake rice varieties {such as Yamadanishiki rice}, and unique types of wood {such as Sakura, the iconic Japanese cherry blossom tree}. Founded in 1823, this is just a starting point for Kiuchi Brewery as they embrace the full creative spectrum envisioned by Japan’s master distillers.
The new creative world of Japan’s Master distillers:
1. Using clear wort to focus on fruity, estery elements of the malt/grain beverage [vs. focus on cereal notes].
2. Prolonged fermentation time to develop more fruity, estery complexity.
3. Use of different complex yeasts [from Bavarian style wheatbeer yeasts to Belgian style ale yeasts].
4. Use of wooden washbacks to increase complexity and ester character.
5. Use of a variety of malts. Including completely unpeated malt to low, medium and heavily peat kilned malt.
6. Use of grains other than barely. Including wheat, rye, and the highest quality sake rice.
7. Use of wood other than the classic American white oak. Including Sakura, Mizunara, sandalwood, cedar, and others.
8. Using a variety of second use wooden casks. Previously filled with white wine, red wine, Shochu spirit, Cognac, Port, Grappa, Madeira, and others.
9. Cultivating barley grains in Japan. Remember that Japan’s climate is completely different from the climate in Scotland, resting in a terroir of it's own.
10. Implementing different distillation techniques and methods to achieve unique results. For example, vacuum distillation helps to eliminate unwelcome flavor and aroma compounds [such as isoamyl acetate and ethyl caproate], at a much lower temperature, and can yield a singularly elegant and exceptional distillate.
** True and authentic Japanese whisky: Brewed and fermented in Japan, distilled and wood aged in Japan, and bottled in Japan.
To celebrate 200 YEARS of KIUCHI BREWERY (1823 -2023)
Kiuchi Sake Brewery was founded in 1823, at the end of the Edo period. Gihei Kiuchi, the village headman of Kounosu Village in Naka Co unty at the time, began brewing sake using surplus rice from the annual tribute. Since then, we have produced a variety of quality sake, including Kikusakari Japanese sake, Hitachino Nest Beer, and Kiuchi Umeshu (plum wine).
SAN FRANCISCO WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION 2025
Double Gold / Best of Class (Grand Prize) Finalists:
Hinomaru Whisky Sakura Ra and Hinomaru Whisky Signature 1823
Only 4 finalists. 2 from Kiuchi Brewing & Distilling for “BEST JAPANESE WHISKY”. Final Winner to be announced Nov. 9, 2025
Kiuchi’s “OWL” HINOMARU Japanese Whisky “SAKURA RA”
“Sakura Ra" brings Kiuchi’s extraordinary creativity and innovation to full life. A complex blend of three single malt distillates:
• One aged for five years in Sherry casks
• One aged for 2 years in Bourbon and 1 year in Sakura barrels
• One aged for 2 years in Sherry and 1 year in Cherry brandy barrels
“Sakura Ra” means “Cherry blossoms”. It also refers to a blend of cultures: Japan’s beauty of life with the enduring power of sun (Ra = God of sun in Egyptian mythology).
2025 SFWSC JUDGING PANEL:
“On the nose, pear and toasted grain set a warm and inviting tone. The taste is powerful and stern, with a structured depth that reveals itself sip by sip. The finish is lively and long. A dramatic conclusion to a dynamic whisky.”
The second finalist , Kiuchi’s “OWL” HINOMARU Japanese WHISKY “SIGNATURE 1823” to be launched by late October 2025
This single malt whisky pays homage to the founding year of Kiuchi sake brewery in 1823.
A blend of bourbon casks, rum casks and sherry casks.
2025 SFWSC JUDGING PANEL:
”The aroma is a gentle blend of chamomile and saffron, while the palate bursts with notes of ripe apricot. A long and tasty finish rounds out this expressive whisky — a perfect example of Japan’s ability to fuse subtlety with impact.”
日の丸ウイスキー KOME
HINOMARU WHISKY “KOME”
All Japanese Whisky
Single Blend of Malt and high grade Sake rice
Kiuchi Brewery is using the sake rice powder extracted from its sake rice polishing machines. For KOME they use polishing rate of over 50% coming mostly from the famous Yamada Nishiki Rice. The complex sake rice starch is then converted into simple sugar by natural Amylase enzymes supplied by Kiuchi’s own barley malt wort {as Koji mold is not allowed to be part of an authentic Japanese Whisky}.
The resulting distillate is aged for over three years in Bourbon barrels. It imparts very light, fruity, acidic flavors reminiscent of highest Daiginjo sake. It will be 80% of the final blend for KOME.
The second distillate is 100% barley malt, and is aged for over 3 years in Bourbon barrels. It imparts malty, vanilla
flavors and aromas. It is 20% of the final blend.
As per Toshiyuki Kiuchi: “I am thinking all the alcohol history were created from food culture and nature. Bourbon were created from corn, Irish were created from wheat, ・・ so real Japanese whiskey should be created from highest quality sake rice.”
Format(s): 6*700ml | 48% alc./vol. (96 PROOF)
Barcode: 4 934418 620757
日の丸ウイスキー 2023 セレブレーション
Kiuchi HINOMARU “2023 Celebration”
AUTHENTIC JAPANESE WHISKY
“2023 Celebration” is the start of a special annual vintage creation. Each new year Kiuchi’s master distillers will create a new edition using different ingredients, unusual fermentation methods and rare maturation techniques.
2023 Celebration Edition:
Single Malt whisky {British barley malt}.
Use of ale yeast and Kiuchi’s unique in-house cultured complex yeast to create quite unusual fermentation
esters.
Washback: Oak wood, Acacia wood
Aged for over 3 years in red wine barrels from various local Japanese vineyards.
Format(s):6*700ml ml bottles| 48% alc./vol. (96 PROOF) |
Barcode: 4 934418 619942
