A brief look at the Saburomaru Distillery’s Tokyo event held on 12/6.
We will also introduce information on the distillery’s new brand of blended Whisky, SAB.

Tokyo Event Report

1-1. Introduction

This event was held in three parts for the media, related parties, and whisky fans (by lottery).
The event was held at Refork Otemachi.
The event started with a greeting by Mr. Takahiko Inagaki, President of Wakatsuru Brewery.
He made three points about the recent TOPICS of the distillery.

• Saburomaru 55years old (price 550,000 yen), which was released in the past, is now on sale in Taiwan for 9,070,000 yen.
• The distillery is now selling as the distillery closest to the station in Japan, and is currently applying for the Guinness World Records for being the best distillery in the world. The number of visitors to the distillery increased by 5,000 compared to the previous year due to the influence of the movie “Welcome to Komada Distillery” and other events.
• The distillery uses two types of peat, Islay & Highland, which they have been particular about since the establishment.

1-2. Issues and Actions for Japanese Whisky

Mr. Inagaki believes that there are three major issues facing Japanese Whisky today,

Insufficient information dissemination of “Japanese Whisky standards” to the rest of the world

1. Market saturation due to the increase in the number of domestic and foreign players

Distilleries should take measures to have their own originality and build a brand that can compete on a global scale,
These measures include: challenging blended Whisky, which currently accounts for the majority of the world’s sales volume; establishing smoky brands; creating bottles and naming with a global mindset; and creating Whisky that is environmentally friendly.
The new Saburomaru distillery has announced the release of a new product, SAB.
The details of the product will be introduced at the bottom of this page.

2.Global Perspective and Long-term Strategy

As for the “Global Perspective,” the company is committed to sustainable Whisky production,

The introduction of eco-green bottles using recycled cullet, CO2 reduction through the use of preheat tanks, and CO2 reduction through the efficiency of ZEMON distillation were cited as successful examples. The preheat tanks and ZEMON are also said to be cost-saving measures for distilleries.

3. lack of maturation know-how and development of sales channels, soaring prices of barrels and malt as the number of distilleries increases, and lack of information dissemination of “Japanese Whisky standards” to the rest of the world

The measures to address these issues include the need for projects that support the foundation of the Whisky industry,

At the Japanese Whisky Bottlers Industry “T&T TOYAMA
They are generating cash flow by purchasing original Whisky for new distilleries and providing manufacturing and marketing consulting services, and currently have about 10 distilleries in storage, with releases scheduled for next year.

In the new business “RE:COOPERAGE

Compared to 2018, the price of a bourbon barrel is about four times higher than in 2018, although there are many distilleries entering the market today. In new distilleries, the raw material cost of barrels and malt accounts for more than 90% of the total cost, which is one of the major costs in distilleries.

This is why we launched Japan’s first reclaimed barrel wood barrel reclamation business, which performs all the “repair, remake, and recharging” of barrels, and is the first of its kind in Japan to support the Whisky industry. The company has also launched the reuse of barrels with the addition of patented barrel rolls and other products.

In addition, at the Saburomaru Distillery

Introduction of the soon-to-be-built blender’s room and workshop facilities, and a hand-fill balinth experience.

The big news was the use of local barley and the introduction of floor malting.
Floor malting can only be done during the colder months of November through April, and the company will be commercializing products made with them in the future.

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3. new product “sub.

Saburomaru distillery will release a new blended Whisky “SAB.

It was born in Japan. Made in Toyama.

The magnificent mountains of Toyama and its bounty of limpid water.
and the beautiful seasonal changes that come with it,
The beautiful seasonal changes and the culture of craftsmanship nurtured by the people’s daily life.
The magnificent nature and the water cycle,
The subtle changes of the seasons and the work of men,
Only in Japan, only in Toyama can they be created.
The whisky is produced in the area of Tonami Plain in Toyama.

Saburomaru distillery, which is rooted in the area of Tonami Plain in Tomi∏s prefecture and challenges the world, produces this Whisky,
The Saburomaru distillery, which is rooted in the Tonami Plain in Tonami Prefecture, Japan, and is challenging the world, produces a Whisky with Japanese aesthetics and the culture of Toyama.
Sabu” is a blended Whisky with the Japanese sense of beauty and the spirit of the Japanese culture.
We deliver it to the world from here in Toyama.

Quote: SMOKY BLENDED WHISKY “SAB.

3-1. SAB. SUNSET RED

Scattered villages in Tonami, the setting sun between the mountains.Reflected in the rice paddies as far as the eye can see, the image is of a beautiful landscape dyed in red.

Nose: Tidal air, calm woody, orange, ash, faint wax, caramel, and smokiness that envelopes the whole.
Taste: smooth, full, round, sweet, caramel, smoke, red apple. For a blended, it has plenty of body and is very drinkable. The finish is woody and rounded with lingering sweetness.

In terms of position, it is the successor to Sunshine Premium. The concept is a sweet and round blended that can be widely used by everyone from beginners to dedicated users of smoky beers.

3-2. SAB. NIGHT BLACK

The image of mountains and trees standing black and silent like a shadow picture incontrast to the moon and stars shining in the night sky.

Nose: Calm, smoky like burning wood, fresh and woody, with a hint of black pepper.
Taste: smooth, soft mouthfeel, bitterness, slight black pepper, ash on the tongue, firm woodiness throughout, earthy peat. Mildly spicy and firmly smoky.

It can be said to be the successor of Juunenmyou and Gyokuto, but the concept is a blended that embodies “mastering peat” with a deeper and more complex smokiness.

3-3.SAB. OCEAN BLUE 【Limited quantity】

Aroma: Strong peat, ash, candied apples, dried mirin, hint of honey, smoked wood, slight prickly pear, extinguished candle wax
Taste: roundness hunting smooth, ash covering the tongue and firm acidity, strong peat, honeyed apples, solid woody and peat warmth remains.

As it stands, it is the successor to the blended THE SUN, the final of which was recently released. It is Saburomaru’s best blended with its characteristic strong smoke and fruity charm.

About Saburomaru Distillery

Saburomaru Distillery

The only distillery in Hokuriku established in 1952.
It obtained a license to produce Whisky in 1952 amidst the postwar rice shortage. Since then, they brew sake in winter and distill Whisky during the rest of the year. They make 200 bottles of Whisky a year. Plans are underway to make 300 bottles in the future.
Since the beginning, they have been focusing on smoky Whisky, using Islay peated malt and recently peated malt from Toyama Prefecture. In order to preserve the natural flavor, no cooling filtration or coloring is used.

In 2018, we installed a state-of-the-art mash tun from Miyake Seisakusho.
In 2019, we collaborated with a local company, Oigo Seisakusho, to develop a cast pod still, ZEMON.
In 2020, one wooden fermentation tank was introduced.

The major difference from other distilleriesis the use of theworld’s first cast pod still“ZEMON“.
There are three major features.
(1) The casting method enables molding by molds, which makes it possible to manufacture in a short period of time. Also, it is possible to provide sufficient wall thickness at a low cost, and thus a longer service life can be expected for the body.
(2) Free molding by the casting method allows for a variety of sake qualities. Also, by unitizing the parts, it is possible to replace only worn parts or expand the functions.
(3) Made of a copper-tin alloy containing about 90% copper and 8% tin. Tin is a high-grade metal that is traded at about three times the price of copper.
Tin has been used since ancient times to mellow the taste of sake and has been used in sake vessels and shochu coolers.

Other than that, we have been investing in equipment year by year. Please take a look at a brief timeline of our distillation history since the restart of the Saburomaru Distillery.

Reference: Wakatsuru Brewery official website

For more information about Saburomaru Distillery, please visit

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