“Ontake” is now available from the single cask series by T&TOYAMA of Saburomaru Distillery x MALTOYAMA. Product and release information.
1. Manufacturer
1-1. Wakatsuru Shuzo Co.
| Established | 1862 |
| Head office location | 208 Saburomaru, Tonami, Toyama 939-1308 |
| Owned distillery | Saburomaru Distillery |
For more information about Saburomaru Distillery, click here.
1-2. MALTOYAMA
Malt Yama obtained a liquor sales license in March 2013 and began operating.
The owner, Tadaaki Shimono, has visited over 130 whisky distilleries worldwide.
In 2020, he launched T&T TOYAMA as a project with Takahiko Inagaki of Wakatsuru Shuzo and Saburomaru Distillery, and in 2021, he will start the world’s first full-scale Japanese whisky bottlers business.
In April 2022, T&T TOYAMA will construct the T&T TOYAMA Iba Maturation Depot and begin maturation in the depot.
MALTOYAMA is a mail order specialty store for single malt whiskey.
1-3. T&T TOYAMA
T&T TOYAMA is a joint project by Takahiko Inagaki of the Saburomaru Distillery of Wakatsuru Shuzo and Tomiyama and Tomiyama’s own Tadaaki Shimono, with the aim of promoting the appeal of whisky from Tomiyama Prefecture.
The name “T&T TOYAMA” is derived from the T of Inagaki Takahiko and Shimono Tadaaki, following the example of a major Scottish bottler.
The business activities are
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Japanese Whisky Bottlers Business
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Scotch Whisky Bottlers Business
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Distillery consulting business
1-4. Ontake Distillery
Nishi Shuzo Co.
| Location | 4970-17 Yogura, Fukiage-cho, Hioki-shi, Kagoshima |
| Founded | Koka 2 (1845) |
| Business | Production and sales of authentic shochu (Tominohozan, etc.), sake, whisky, wine, liqueurs, and spirits |
| Location of distillery | 12300 Shimofukumoto-cho, Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture |
| Start of operation | 2019 |
Acquired Kagoshima Golf Resort in February 2011; built a whisky distilling facility within the golf resort in 2019.
This will be the third distillery in Kagoshima Prefecture, following Hombo Shuzo’s Mars Tsunuki Distillery and Komasa Brewery’s Kanosuke Distillery. “Ontake” refers to Sakurajima, which seems to be the official name of Sakurajima since ancient times. The distillery is located on a hilltop overlooking Kinko Bay and Ontake (Sakurajima) with over 1,000 liters of natural soft water gushing out every minute.
There are two pot stills, one for first distillation and one for redistillation. The line arms of both stills are designed to face upward, so that heavy flavor components are removed and only “fruity and deep flavor components” are extracted. The distillery’s goal is to use a clean, mouthwatering new pot, with a mellow fruit aroma, a balanced flavor, and a clear mouthfeel that glides down the throat.
The distillery also made a splash in 2019 with the release of a craft gin called ” 尽～tsukusu-“ which is the result of extracting a total of 24 different botanicals.
Image credit: Ontake Distillery official website
3. Single Cask Ontake 2021 3 years Sherry Butt 58.5% Details
3-1. Product Specifications
Image credit: Saburomaru Distillery official Facebook
| Product name | Single Cask Mitake 2021 3 years Sherry Butt 58.5% |
| Capacity | 700ml |
| Ingredients | Malt |
| Alcohol Content | 58.5％ |
| Year of distillation: Year of bottling | 2021: 2024 |
| cask alcohol | Sherry Butt |
| Cask No. | No.158 |
| Selling price | 21,978 yen (excluding tax) *All proceeds, excluding consumption tax and material costs, will be donated. |
| Number of bottles sold | 622 bottles |
3-2. Bottle Concept & Tasting Notes
4. First-come, first-served sales
[Sales Method]
Domestic: First-come, first-served on the product page of the Wakatsuru Shuzo online store “Me and, ALC“.
*Membership registration is required in advance as this is a members-only product.
Sales start time: Friday, June 14, 2024, from 12:30 p.m.
Lastly: Recommended Books on Japanese Whisky
If you want to learn more about Japanese whisky, which is a global trend, we highly recommend these books.
(1).Whisky Galore Vol.29 December 2021 issue
In the December 2021 issue of Whisky Galore, published by the Whisky Culture Research Institute, we report on 11 Japanese craft distilleries, including some that are open to the public for the first time, under the title of “Japanese Whisky Craft Frontline,” the first of three consecutive issues. Why did the popularity of Japanese whisky and the craft boom occur? We will examine with interviews. Chichibu Distillery / Chichibu No.2 Distillery / Mars Shinshu Distillery / Mars Tsunuki Distillery / Kanosuke Distillery / Hioki Distillery / Ontake Distillery / Osuzuyama Distillery / Kaikyo Distillery / Hanyu Distillery / Konosu Distillery
(2). Japanese Whisky as an Education for Business
This is a book written by Mamoru Tsuchiya, a world-famous whisky critic and representative of the Whisky Culture Research Institute, titled “Japanese Whisky as a Culture that Works for Business” .
The book covers the basics of whisky, the introduction of whisky to Japan, the birth of Japanese whisky, advertising strategies and the rise of Japanese whisky, and the current rise of craft distilleries. This is a book that summarizes Japanese whisky in a very easy to understand way.
(3). Whisky and I (Masataka Taketsuru)
Masataka Taketsuru, the founder of Nikka Whisky, devoted his life to brewing whisky in Japan. This is a revised and reprinted version of the autobiography of a man who simply loved whisky and talked about himself. The book vividly depicts the days when he went to Scotland alone to study as a young man and overcame many hardships to complete Japanese whisky, as well as his companion, Rita.
(4). A Letter of Challenge from a New Generation Distillery
Launching in 2019. With the world experiencing an unprecedented whisky boom, what were the managers of craft distilleries thinking and what were their thoughts as they took on the challenge of making whisky? This book tells the stories of 13 craft distillery owners, including Ichiro Hido of Venture Whisky, famous for his Ichirose Malt, who inspired the birth of craft distilleries in Japan.
(5). Whiskey Rising
This is the Japanese version of Whisky Risng, published in the US in 2016, with much updated content. Not only does it describe the history of Japanese whisky in detail, but it also includes data on all the distilleries in Japan, including the craft distilleries that have been founded in recent years. The book also includes descriptions of the legendary bottles that have been released, as well as information on bars where Japanese whisky can be found.
