P.A.WORKS, the production company that created hits such as the anime “Skip and the Loafer” and “Palipi Komei,” has released the second set of lottery information for the collaboration whisky of the latest work series, “Welcome to Komada Distillery.
The “Oshigoto Series” is a series of works focusing on jobs in various industries, such as “Hanasaku Iroha,” which depicts the struggles of a Japanese inn, and “Shirobako,” which depicts the anime industry, and has been highly acclaimed both in Japan and abroad for its depiction of various problems faced by the industry and the unique excellence of the work.
Shinanoya will release the second collaboration whisky between “Welcome to Komada Distillery” and “Saburomaru Distillery”, the latest work of “P.A.WORKS”!
As we told you last time, this is a somewhat special application process “and a different application process from the previous one”, so please take note of it!
For more information about the film “Welcome to Komada Distillery”, please click the link below
1. Ichiro’s Malt Malt & Grain Ambassador’s Choice
| Sales Price | To be announced as soon as it is determined |
| Number of bottles sold | To be announced as soon as it is determined |
| Capacity | 700ml |
| Year of distillation | ー |
| Year bottled | 2023 |
| Year of aging | ー |
| Malt used | ー |
| Barrel type | Bourbon Barrel (Finish) |
| Barrel number | 11077 |
| Alcohol Content | Cask Strength (Barrel Stock) |
The fact that it is cask strength is one thing to note, but this time it is an Ambassador’s Choice brand.
This brand was selected by Yumi Yoshikawa, a “Global Brand Ambassador”.
After working at the Imperial Hotel bar, Yumi Yoshikawa went to Scotland and worked in a malt bar there as well.
After returning to Japan, she worked for Venture Whisky.
She then worked as an ambassador and won the World Whisky Brand Ambassador of the Year award in 2019, an award given to a person who has made a significant contribution to the global whisky industry.
A cask selected by a man who truly combines talent and color.
It is impossible not to be curious about it.
Click here to see the other released Ichiro’s Malt whiskies.
https://jpwhisky.net/ichirosmalt-classicaledition-10848/
2.Nagahama Singlet Malt Batch 775
| Selling price | 16,145 Yen (17,760 Yen including tax) |
| Number of bottles sold | To be announced as soon as it is decided *About 200 bottles |
| Capacity | 500ml |
| Year of distillation | 2020 |
| Year of bottling | 2023 |
| Aging | 3 years and 6 months |
| Malt used | Non-peat malt |
| Casks used | Islay Quarter Cask |
| Cask number | #0775 |
| Alcohol content | 53.6% alcohol by volume |
A cask from Nagahama Distillery, which is run by Liquor Mountain, a well-known liquor store.
They have already released various collaboration whiskys, including collaborations with Kazuya Yoshii, LOUDNESS, and Tomoyasu Hotei from the music industry, as well as many collaborations with media culture such as manga and anime, such as “Saint Seiya,” “Madromi Barmaid,” and “Ghost in the Shell.
Speaking of collaboration whiskys, it is inevitable that Nagahama Distillery is named as one of the collaborators this time.
For more information on other Nagahama distilleries, click here.
https://jpwhisky.net/nagahama-second-27361/
3.Mars Shinshu Distillery
Of the four newly announced distilleries, Mars Shinshu Distillery is the only one that has not yet been announced as they are still in the process of carefully selecting barrels.
The collaboration whisky made with a hard-edged impression, such as the collaboration with Christian Drouin of France, which makes a fine Calvados, and the Kakuuchi-based private cask held in Shibuya, has a reputation for its taste, and expectations are high.
Click here to see other whiskys from Mars Shinshu Distillery.
https://en.jpwhisky.net/2023/06/27/cosmo_winecask_2023-2/
4.Hinomaru Whisky Triple Cask SHERRY & CHERRY & SAKURA
| Selling price | 18,000 Yen (19,800 Yen including tax) |
| Number of bottles sold | To be announced as soon as it is decided *About 200 bottles |
| Capacity | 700ml |
| Year of distillation | 2018~2020 |
| Year of bottling | 2023 |
| Matured Year | 3~5 years |
| Malt used | Brewer’s malt |
| Casks used | Sherry casks, cherry brandy casks, cherry casks |
| Cask number | To be announced as soon as it is determined |
| Alcohol content | Undecided (cask strength) |
5.Saburomaru Single Cask 2020 3years #200126
| Selling price | 21,800 Yen (23,980 Yen including tax) |
| Number of bottles sold | To be announced as soon as it is determined *About 200 bottles |
| Capacity | 700ml |
| Year of distillation | Year of distillation: 2020 |
| Year of bottling | 2023 |
| Ageing | 3 years |
| Malt used | Islay peated malt (approx. 50 PPM) |
| Barrel type | New American oak barrels |
| Barrel number | #200126 |
| Alcohol Content | 58% alcohol by volume |
This is the second bottle from Saburomaru Distillery, which is clearly different from the first one using New American Oak barrels.
The Saburomaru Distillery’s previous releases were mostly 48% watered down, and the only one close to that was “Saburomaru II 70th Anniversary Spanish Oak” at 59%, so it will be interesting to see what kind of aroma this exquisite level of watering brings out.
More whiskies from the Saburomaru distillery
https://jpwhisky.net/saburomaru2-spanishoak-24978/
6.How to purchase
As mentioned above, the lottery method for this collaboration whisky is somewhat special, and its condition is “those who have purchased a movie ticket this time” (to put it plainly, a movie stub), while the first time it was only for those who purchased an advance ticket to the movie!
The procedure is as follows
| Application period | November 10 (Fri.) – December 7 (Thu.) 23:59 |
| Application Requirements | Must be 20 years of age or older and have seen “Welcome to Komada Distillery”. |
| How to apply | For paper tickets In case of online ticket Attach the photo to the application form and fill in the required information. |
| Other | Only one entry per ticket. |
7.About each distillery
7-1. venture whisky chichibu distillery
Chichibu distillery started operation in 2008, and in just a few years, it has become a whisky maker that attracts the world’s attention as ” Ichiro’s Malt “.
Toa Shuzo”, which was run by the father of the founder “Ichiro Akuto”, owned the Hanyu distillery and was producing whisky. When Mr. Akuto took over in 2001, the business was in a slump, and it was transferred to “Hinode Trading” in 2003. At that time, the decision was made to withdraw from the whisky business, and the stored whisky was in danger of being disposed of. The company scrambled to find a buyer and succeeded in obtaining cooperation from the Sasanogawa Brewery, and was able to move the whisky stored at the Hanyu distillery to a rented storage facility. Later, together with the Sasanokawa Brewery, they began selling whisky made from the Hanyu distillery ‘s original sake.
In 2004, Mr. Akuto established Venture whisky Co., Ltd. and in 2007, completed a whisky distillery in Chichibu, as it is Mr. Akuto’s own hometown and a suitable environment for sake brewing.
Exhibit at whisky Festival 2019. We were able to sample some of the products released so far. The booth was always crowded, showing the popularity of Ichiro’s Malt.
| Location. | Midorigaoka 49, Chichibu, Saitama 368-0067 |
| Access | ＜By train |
| Start of operation | 2007 |
| Official HP | Chichibu Distillery Facebook page |
| Tours | For professionals only. No public tours. |
| Products | Ichiro’s Malt Quercus Wood Reserve, Ichiro’s Malt Double Distilleries, Ichiro’s Malt & Grain…etc. |
Typical whiskies from Chichibu Distillery
7-2. Nagahama Roman Beer Nagahama Distillery
Japan’s smallest Nagahama distillery is located in the northern part of Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture.
In 1996, Nagahama Romantic Beer became the third craft brewery in the Kinki region to start producing craft beer, and after 20 years of craft beer production, Nagahama Roman Beer began distilling whisky in 2016, operating the Nagahama Distillery on the premises.
Inspired by Scottish craft distilleries, the distillery features rich, fruity, grain-derived, richly sweet, undiluted whisky that flows from an arambic-shaped pot still and ultra-thin line arms.
Image source: Nagahama Roman Beer Nagahama Distillery
In 2020, Amahagan, a blend of Nagahama Distillery malts based on overseas malt whiskies, won three out of four regular series bottles at the WorldWhisky Awards ( WWA ).
| Location | 14-1 Asahi-cho, Nagahama-shi, Shiga 526-0056 |
| Access | 4 minutes walk from JR Nagahama Station About 4 km from Nagahama I.C. |
| Start of operation | 2016 |
| Official HP | Nagahama Roman Beer Nagahama Distillery |
| Tours are available. | Tours are available, reservations required through the website. |
| Products | Amahagan, Single Malt Nagahama, Nagahama New Make |
Representative whiskies of Nagahama Distillery
7-3. Honbo Shuzo Mars Shinshu Distillery
Masataka Taketsuru is known as the father of domestic whisky. Kiichiro Iwai of Settsu Shuzo (the creator of Mars whisky) was the man who entrusted the then 24-year-old Mr. Taketsuru with the dawn of real whisky in Japan and sent him to Scotland as his boss.
After returning to Japan, Mr. Taketsuru compiled the results of his whisky training into a “Whisky Report” and submitted it to Kiichiro Iwai. This is commonly known as the ” Taketsuru Report” or “Taketsuru Notebook.
Hombo Shuzo is primarily a Kagoshima-based shochu distiller, but since obtaining a license to produce whisky in 1949, the company had held on to the dream of one day making real whisky that would take full advantage of Japan’s climate.
In 1960, Kiichiro Iwai designed based on the “Taketsuru Notebook” and established the Mars Yamanashi Winery, a factory for wine and whisky production. Then, in 1985, he searched for an even more ideal location to engage in full-scale whisky production, and in 1985, he opened the “Mars Shinshu Distillery” in Nagano Prefecture. Surrounded by beautiful and deep green forests at the foot of Mt. Komagatake in the Central Alps, the distillery stands in the silence of clean air.
There is a tasting bar in the distillery’s visitor center where you can enjoy tastings for a fee. You can enjoy the latest Mars whisky products as well as a large selection of limited editions from the past.
Exhibits at the 2019 Whisky Festival. Iwai Tradition, Maltige Kosumo, Komagatake Limited 2019, and new products to be released in spring 2020 were also on display.
| Location. | 399-4301 4752-31 Miyata-mura, Kamiina-gun, Nagano, Japan |
| Access |
|
| Commencement of operation | 1985 |
| Official HP | Honbo Shuzo Mars Shinshu Distillery |
| Visiting the distillery | Tours are available. Application required by e-mail form or fax. |
| Products | Single Malt Whisky Komagatake |
Representative whisky of Mars Shinshu Distillery
7-4. Kiuchi Brewery Nukuta Brewery/Yasao Distillery
Founded in 1823 in Naka, Ibaraki Prefecture, Kiuchi Brewery produces sake‘‘Kikumori‘‘, shochu, wine, liqueur, and craft beer, Hitachi-no Nest Beer.
In 2016, the company began producing a whisky unique to Hitachino, utilizing Kaneko Golden, a fantastic Japanese beer wheat that was revived in the process of making Hitachino Nest Beer. After maturation, it was first offered at directly managed stores, and in April 2019, commercialized as a highball in a can.
Then, to further pursue Japanese whisky making, the company built the Yago Distillery at the foot of Mt. Tsukuba and began operations in 2020.
| Location | 1300-8 Sugama, Ishioka-shi, Ibaraki 315-0151 |
| Access | ＜By train |
| Start of operation | 2020 Yasato distillery (Nukata Brewery will start distilling in 2016) |
| Official HP | Kiuchi Brewery, Yasato Distillery |
| Tours | ー |
| Products | ー |
Typical whisky of Yasato distillery 
7-5. Wakatsuru Shuzo Saburomaru Distillery
Wakatsuru Brewery, which operates the Saburomaru Distillery, is a very old sake brewery in Hokuriku, having started sake production in 1862 in Saburomaru Village, Tonami County, Toyama Prefecture.
After the end of World War II, in order to break out of a deadlock, the company conducted independent research on distilled spirits production and obtained a license to produce whisky in 1952. 1953 marked the start of sales of ” Sunshine whisky ” in Toyama Prefecture.
In 2016, more than 60 years had passed since the first whisky was made and the distillery was aging. The distillery had been aging for more than 60 years since its first whisky production in 2016. Therefore, we launched the ” Saburomaru Distillery Renovation Project” and challenged crowdfunding in order to secure funds.
With the passion for whisky making that has been preserved for more than 60 years and the challenge to develop Toyama whisky into a world-class whisky, we received 3,825,000 yen in support, far exceeding the 25 million yen goal. The distillery has restarted as a whisky distillery.
In 2019, the distillery developed the world’s first cast distiller “ZEMON” in collaboration with Oigo Seisakusho, a master distiller of Buddhist bell making.
| Location. | 208 Saburomaru, Tonami, Toyama 939-1308 |
| Access | From Shin-Takaoka Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line, take the JR Jyohana Line and get off at Aburaden Station. 1 minute walk from the station. |
| Start of operation | 1953 (renovated in 2016) |
| Official HP | Wakatsuru Sake Brewery Saburomaru Distillery |
| Tours | Tours are available. Reservations required through the tour page on the website. |
| Products | Sunshine whisky, Single Malt Saburomaru, Moonglow |
Typical whiskies from the Saburomaru distillery
8. Summary
As we were looking forward to the release of the movie in theaters in November, “Welcome to Komada Distillery” is getting even more exciting with the announcement of the collaboration whisky.
The four distilleries that have newly announced their collaboration whiskys, and another one from Saburomaru Distillery.
They are all three very different and each one is of interest in its own way.
The film seems to contain many episodes of the difficulties that the distilleries have gone through.
There are many ways to enjoy the story of the film and the commonalities between the whisky and the film.
Am I the only one who thinks it would be nice to watch the movie while drinking the collaboration whisky?
