Shizuoka Distillery, the successor to the legendary Karuizawa Distillery, releases two types of private bottles for BAR Shinkai, “Single Cask Shizuoka for BAR Shinkai,” available in limited quantities from June 20, 2025 (Friday).
BAR Shinkai, which operates three BARs in Minato-ku, Tokyo, is、The owned Shizuoka Owner’s Cask has reached sufficient maturity to be bottled in May 2025 and released “Single Cask Shizuoka Pot Still K x Japanese Barley for BAR Shinkai” and “Single Cask Shizuoka Pot Still W x Japanese Barley for BAR Shinkai”.
Both are made from non peated Japanese barley, distilled in 2021 in pot still K and pot still W, respectively, and bottled after about 3 years and 6 months of aging in Octave-sized bourbon barrels.
A limited quantity will be available for sale to readers of our website, Japanese Whisky Dictionary, starting June 20, 2025.
１．About Single Cask Shizuoka for BAR Shinkai
BAR Shinkai purchased two barrels of Shizuoka Private Cask 2021, which was released in 2020, and has watched it mature for about three and a half years since it was casked in 2021.
At the time of purchase, we were told that the wine could be stored for up to 5 years, but due to the environment in Shizuoka and the fact that it was in small 50L Octave barrels, we decided to bottle the wine at 3 years and 6 months because the aging process was faster than expected.
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２．Product Information
- This product will be available in two different bottles.
Single Cask Shizuoka Pot Still K x Japanese Barley for BAR Shinkai
Single Cask Shizuoka Pot Still W x Japanese Barley for BAR Shinkai -
The distillates produced by the Shizuoka Distillery’s two distillation machines, “Pot Still K” and “Pot Still W,” which are two of the distillery’s main features, are aged in separate casks, and each is bottled at 55% alcohol by volume.
Each distiller’s characteristics are well represented, resulting in different tastes.
２－１． Single Cask Shizuoka Pot Still K x Japanese Barley for BAR Shinkai
The Shizuoka distillery, which began operations in 2016, is truly a distillery that carries on the lineage of the legendary Karuizawa distillery, where a pot still from that distillery was won at auction and revived as “Pot Still K” after an overhaul.
Ironically, the remaining distillate from the Karuizawa distillery ended up in the hands of a British distributor, but a few years later, the first Karuizawa 1960 was sold for 2 million yen and is now said to be sold for over 50 million yen.
It is distilled by the legendary Karuizawa distiller “Pot Still K”. “Japanese barley” is used as an ingredient.It is aged for only about 3 years and 6 months in small Octave (50L) barrels since it was casked in 2021, and has reached full maturity in a short time.
In addition to the official Shizuoka Distillery label, we also created our own original label for the bottle.
As with the previous Ichiro’s Malt PB, our bartender Azuma was in charge of the design, which was inspired by the “Rainbow Bridge”, a symbol of Tokyo’s Minato Ward, where BAR Shinkai is located.
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*This will be a double-sided double label: the official Shizuoka Distillery label and the BAR Shinkai original label.
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alcohol content (usu. expressed per cent) 55% distinction by alcohol Single Malt Japanese Whisky (Single Cask) raw materials Malt (domestic production, non-peat) distillation still Initial distillation【K】Re-distillation【S】 cask-type Bourbon barrels (Octave size) distillation date 2021/11/7 Bottling Date 2025/5/15 Volume content 700ml Number of bottles 50 bottles
２－２． Single Cask Shizuoka Pot Still W x Japanese Barley for BAR Shinkai
The Shizuoka distillery has another distillation unit in contrast to the “Pot Still K”.
“Pot Still W”, the world’s only wood-fired, direct-heating wood-burning.
It is distilled at a considerably higher temperature than ordinary indirect-heat distillation, resulting in a thicker, richer flavor.
Distilled using the world’s first “pot still W“.“Japanese barley” is used as an ingredient.It has been aged for only 3 years and 6 months in small Octave (50L) barrels since it was first casked in 2021, and has reached full maturity in a short time.
In addition to the official Shizuoka Distillery label, we also created our own original label for the bottle.
As with the previous Ichiro’s Malt PB, our bartender Azuma was in charge of the design, which was inspired by the “Tokyo Tower,” a symbol of Tokyo’s Minato Ward, where BAR Shinkai is located.
| alcohol content (usu. expressed per cent) | 55% |
| distinction by alcohol | Single Malt Japanese Whisky (Single Cask) |
| raw materials | Malt (domestic production, non-peat) |
| distillation still | Initial distillation【W】Re-distillation【S】 |
| cask-type | Bourbon barrels (octavo size) |
| distillation date | 2021/11/16 |
| Bottling Date | 2025/5/16 |
| Volume content | 700ml |
| Number of bottles | 50 bottles |
３．Purchase Methods
Sales will begin on Friday, June 20, 2025 at the following online stores.
Shinkai Drinks Store（https://store.shinkaidrinks.com/）
３－１．Sales Page
The URLs of the sales pages for each of the two types of bottles to be sold will be posted below after the sales start date.
Single Cask Shizuoka Pot Still K x Japanese Barley for BAR Shinkai
Please order from the following page.
Single Cask Shizuoka Pot Still W x Japanese Barley for BAR Shinkai
Please order from the following page.
４．Gaia Flow Distilling Co.
Gaia Flow Distilling Co. purchased and acquired whisky production equipment from Mercian Karuizawa Distillery in March 2015.The reusable equipment, including the crusher used for malt grinding and the distiller, was repaired and improved, then moved to the Shizuoka distillery, where it was prepared for whisky production.
In 2015, we began construction of the Shizuoka Distillery in the area known as Tamagawa, in the Okusizu (Oku-Shizuoka area) of Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and in September 2016, we obtained a license to produce whisky.
Production is carried out with three distillers: a distiller (K) relocated from the Karuizawa distillery, two Scottish distillers (W) for the first distillation, and one redistiller.
Shizuoka Distillery operates two first distillation units called “K” and “W”.
K” is a historic Karuizawa distillery distiller manufactured in Japan in the 1950s.
The Karuizawa distillery, which regrettably closed in November 2011, was up for auction, but in 2015 Gaia Flow Distilling succeeded in winning the bid for a complete set of production equipment for 5.05 million yen.
Later, it was relocated, repaired, and refurbished, and the legendary distiller was restored.
Its supple and graceful silhouette and the indirect heating of steam produce a light and floral-flavored original spirit.
The materials used for the firewood are locally thinned wood, which contributes to the protection of forests.
Surrounded by beautiful 400-meter-high mountains, the temperature is always 2 to 3 degrees cooler than in the city center, and the weather is what one would call mountain weather.
The temperature in the mountains is always 2 to 3 degrees cooler than in the city, and the weather is also mountain weather. The temperature exceeds 30 degrees Celsius during the day in summer, and sometimes drops to -10 degrees Celsius in the early morning in winter.
Humidity is high in both summer and winter, and on rainy days the mountains are shrouded in mist.
Because of the relatively warm environment, the angel’s share seems to be large and the barrel size averages 5-6%
There seems to be a big difference in angel’s share depending on the placement of the barrels.
Starting with the “Single Malt Shizuoka Prologue K” released in 2020, the official product line of the Shizuoka Distillery will regularly release three product lines: the “K Series” distilled by Distiller K, the “W Series” distilled by Distiller W, and the “S Series” blended malt of K and W, andThe “K Series” is distilled at distiller K.
We are also working to produce using local Shizuoka barley, and are looking forward to the release of “All Shizuoka Whisky” made with Shizuoka barley.
５．Finally.
Prior to operating the Shizuoka Distillery, Mr. Taiko Nakamura, the president of Gaia Flow Distilling, took over his father’s precision parts manufacturing company and ran it as his family’s business.He was impressed by the spirit of the small distillery, its work, and its respect for the local community.
His desire to make whisky grew stronger, thinking that he could make whisky himself, and finally, in 2025, he started construction of a distillery and entered the whisky manufacturing business.
Among the emerging distilleries around 2016, the Shizuoka distillery, along with the Akkeshi distillery, entered the whisky production industry from a different industry, and has brought a new wind to the history of Japanese whisky so far.
I am sure that new entrants from different industries must have experienced considerable hardships before starting operations, as they had to create a business plan, raise funds, acquire know-how, procure equipment, and so on, all from scratch.
Even after the start of operations, it takes at least three years to commercialize the whisky, so I think that running a distillery itself, including financing and continuing production during that time, is a very difficult task.
I am sure that the Shizuoka Distillery has gone through extraordinary efforts and hardships during the 10 years since Gaia Flow Distilling was established until today.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the “Single Cask Shizuoka for BAR Shinkai” released this time is the crystallization of sweat and tears.
We hope you will enjoy it.
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.
