Hakushu Distillery

The Hakushu Distillery was founded half a century after Yamazaki. Keizo Saji, the second Master Blender, inherited his father’s quest to push the boundaries of what a Japanese whisky could be. He had searched all over Japan for high quality water that would produce the most delicately aromatic whisky. After searching with tenacity to the headstreams of rivers and deep into rugged mountains, he found Hakushu.

The Hakushu Distillery is one of the highest distilleries in the world, built amidst the deepest forests of Mt. Kaikomagatake in the Japanese Southern Alps. The majestic forest that surrounds the Hakushu Distillery shelters an abundance of plant varieties reflecting the many expressions of Japanese nature. The malt whiskies born here are simultaneously blessed with a very particular microclimate, verdant forests, and water offering a rare softness only made possible by filtration of rain and snow through thousand-year-old granite rocks.

A Balance of Time and Nature

The exceptionally soft mountain water of Hakushu originates as clear-flowing rainwater and melted snow, which passes through Mt. Kaikomagatake of the Japanese Southern Alps and joins the Ojira and Jingu Rivers at the mountain foot. With four distinctive seasons, the clear air and cool, humid climate of Hakushu’s vast forests allow the distillery, one of the few situated at an elevation of 700 meters or more, to produce high-quality whisky through a slow, unhurried process.

Whisky Making at Hakushu Distillery

The water and environment at the Hakushu distillery is vastly different to that of the Yamazaki distillery, as is the creation process. At fermentation, artisannal craftsmen use solely wooden washbacks to encourage maturation by retaining heat in the cool air at the distillery. A variety of pot stills and casks are carefully chosen to suit the high elevation and climate of Hakushu, ultimately producing an array of single malt whiskies with a variety of characters that reflect its surroundings.

An Elevated Experience

Hakushu Distillery was recently upgraded to emphasize the profound connection between the distillery’s outstanding whiskies and its pristine natural environment. The updates include a new visitor center and exhibit at the Bird Sanctuary that bring visitors closer to the distillery’s surroundings than ever before.

Booking now is available through the following link (click here)