The Distillery Known as ‘The Ultimate Japanese Trophy Whisky’ Is Back After 24 Years of Dormancy

Karuizawa Distillery is reopening after a 24-year period of dormancy. (Photo: Karuizawa/Dekanta)

Acrofan reported on Wednesday that a popular Japanese whisky brand with a fanatic cult following, Karuizawa Distillery, is re-opening its doors after laying dormant for 24 years. Some bottles from the producer have sold at auction for over $400,000 in the past.

The outlet reported that some of Karuizawa’s original team members returned to work at the revitalized distillery, including the brand’s former master distiller’s apprentice, Yoshiyuki Nakazato. Nakazato is now the master distiller at the brand.

“I strive to produce a liquid that both respects and surpasses the old Karuizawa whisky,” Nakazato said, according to Acrofan.

The new facilities are in the town of Karuizawa, and they were built in 2022 at the base of Mount Asama. The outlet reported that the team has chosen sherry casks which have a minimum aging requirement of a decade.

The news initially broke out about the Japanese whisky distillery’s resurrection in December 2022, when Karuizawa partnered with the online retailer Dekanta to bring the brand back. Despite the good news, the brands made it very clear that Karuizawa wasn’t intending to release new whisky offerings to the public for at least a decade.

Acrofan reported that Dekanta has “exclusive rights” to sell limited quantities of single malt sherry casks from the brand for individuals interested in purchasing casks from the distillery.

“It is nothing short of an honor to be entrusted with Karuizawa’s legacy and liquid,” Dekanta founder Makiyo Masa said in a statement.

Sotheby’s has referred to Karuizawa as “the ultimate Japanese trophy whisky.” The brand opened in the 1950s before shutting down in 2000. Karuizawa’s calling card was its sherried single malts.

“Karuizawa is the Japanese equivalent of Brora or Port Ellen,” whisky writer and expert Dave Broom said, according to the auction house.

Sotheby’s reported that Karuizawa made its whiskies in a more Scottish style, unlike other Japanese brands like Hibiki and Yamazaki. Broom claimed Karuizawa’s whiskies were “intended for blending” and just a tiny amount of liquid was reserved for to be bottled as single malt.

Though Broom claimed the whiskies didn’t get much traction in Japan because they were considered “too heavy,” Karuizawa’s malts rose to a cult following elsewhere.

In November 2017, a very expensive bottle of Karuizawa called “The Squirrel” was stolen from a Parisian whisky shop in one of the most infamous heists of all time. The thieves have never been caught.

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