Whisky made in collaboration with Atlus’ “Persona” series and Saburomaru Distillery is now available for purchase by lottery starting today. The “Persona” series is a popular juvenile RPG by Atlus Co.
Currently, the third collaboration has been announced, and the first release, which will be raffled off today, will feature the remastered “Persona” series “Saburomaru x Persona Blended Whisky” (8,800 yen including tax) and “Single Cask Saburomaru P3P #200073” (21,978 yen including tax) based on “Persona 3 Portable” and is available for purchase through a special page.
1. Lottery application
Lottery sales entries are accepted from the “Me and, ALC“ product page of the Wakatsuru Shuzo online store.
“Me and ALC” member registration is required. ALC member’s customer ID is required at the time of application. Click here for the member application page.
As for Blended, there are three lottery periods.
・Lottery Entry Period
《Blended Lottery First Drawing》
Thursday, July 13, 2023, 12:30 p.m. – Wednesday, July 19, 2023, 23:59 p.m.
*Products will be shipped in early August.
《Blended Lottery Second Drawing》
Thursday, July 20, 2023, 12:30 p.m. – Wednesday, July 26, 2023, 23:59 p.m.
*Products will be shipped in mid-August.
《Blended Lottery: Third Lottery》
Thursday, July 27, 2023, 12:30 p.m. – Wednesday, August 2, 2023, 23:59 p.m.
*Products will be shipped in late August.
《Single cask Saburomaru P3P #200073 Lottery》
Thursday, July 13, 2023, 12:30 p.m. – Wednesday, July 19, 2023, 23:59 p.m.
*Products will be shipped in early August.
Click here for the product page.
2. “Persona” x Saburomaru Distillery collaboration whisky
2-1. “Saburomaru” x Persona Blended Whisky
A smoky, richly flavored whisky blended with malt whisky from the Saburomaru Distillery as the key malt.
The flavor is inspired by the harmony of various elements, and the label features illustrations of the main characters from “Persona 3 Portable”, “Persona 4 the Golden”, and “Persona 5 the Royal”, along with their personas.(Reference: Website)
Product Name | Saburomaru x Persona Blended Whisky |
| Distinction by alcohol | Blended whisky |
| Ingredients | Malt, Grain |
| Cask type | ー |
| Number of bottles | ー |
| Number of | 46% |
| Price | 8,800 yen (tax included) |
| Place of production | Saburomaru Distillery |
| Manufacturer | Wakatsuru Brewery Co. |
2-2. Single Cask Saburomaru P3P #200073
One cask was selected from the single malt that has been aged for 3 years after the numbering.
This whisky is a collaboration with “Persona 3 Portable”.
The label features an illustration of the main character (male) of “Persona 3 Portable” and his persona “Orpheus,” which belongs to the “Fool” arcana in the game.(Citation: Website)
This single cask Saburomaru P3P #200073 is a 3-year old Japanese whisky distilled in 2020 and bottled in 2023.
The distillation year is 2020 and the distiller is “ZEMON” which is synonymous with Saburomaru today.
Product Name | Single cask Saburomaru P3P #200073 |
| Distiller’s name | Single cask whisky |
| Ingredients | Malt |
| Cask type | Bourbon casks |
| Number of bottles | 250 bottles |
| Alcohol content | 50% |
| Price | 21,978 yen (tax included) |
| Manufactured at | Saburomaru Distillery |
| Manufacturer | Wakatsuru Shuzo Co. |
3. About Saburomaru Distillery
Saburomaru Distillery
| Address | 208, Saburomaru, Tonami, Toyama 939-1308 |
| Start of operation | 1953 (renovated in 2016) |
The only distillery in Hokuriku, established in 1952.
Amidst the postwar rice shortage, the distillery obtained a license to produce whisky in 1952. Since then, they have been brewing sake in winter and distilling 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. 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 vat fermenter was installed.
The main difference from other distilleries is the use of “ZEMON”, the world’s first cast pod still.
There are three major features.
(1) The casting method enables molding with a mold for quick delivery. Also, it is possible to add sufficient wall thickness at a low cost, which increases the service life of the bottle.
(2) Free molding by the casting method allows for various types of sake quality. 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. ZEMON contributes to the production of high quality spirits through the dual effects of copper and tin.
Reference: Wakatsuru Shuzo official website
See also ↓ for information on the Sabromaru Distillery.
https://en.jpwhisky.net/japanesedistillery-2-3542/#4-7_Saburomaru_Distillery_Wakatsuru_Shuzo”]
4. About the persona series
A series of juvenile RPGs set in the streets of modern Japan, in which players experience familiar events such as school life, friendship, and romance, while at the same time confronting mysterious rumors, urban legends, and other occult incidents.
The story is about a group of boys and girls who encounter their “persona” (the “other self” that lies dormant inside them and appears in the form of an “inherited god or demon”) and grow up by overcoming numerous difficulties.(Reference: ATLUS official page)
The Persona series was first released as a PlayStation game software in 1996 as a derivative work of ATLUS’ “Megami Tensei” series.
Since then, the series has produced many other titles, including cell phone applications, animations, and other media mixes, and as of 2021, the series has sold a total of 15 million units worldwide.
There have been many collaborations between popular games and animation and whisky, and the Persona x Saburomaru collaboration is sure to attract attention not only from whisky fans but also from Persona fans around the world.
The second and third collaborations have already been confirmed, so we are very much looking forward to this one as well!
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.
