(President: Takahiko Inagaki) won the top prize in the category of two products at the World Whisky Awards 2025, an international whisky competition sponsored by the British whisky magazine Whisky Magazine.
1. What is the World Whisky Awards (WWA)?
The World Whisky Awards (WWA) is an international whisky competition sponsored by the British whisky magazine, WHISKY MAGAZINE. 2025 consisted of 22 tasting categories including “Single Malt Whisky” and “Blended Whisky”. The winning whiskies were selected from whisky entries from around the world through a rigorous blind tasting process by whisky experts and top journalists from around the world. In the final judging, one whisky is selected as the “World’s Best,” the highest award in each category. (The World’s Best is announced in March.)
2.WWA2025 Award-winning products from Sabromaru Distillery
2-1. Single Malt Saburomaru IV THE EMPEROR Cask Strength
Image source: Saburomaru distillery won the highest award in its category at WWA2025 | Press Release
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A single wisp of smoke rising from the wilderness. Straighter and richer.
In 2020, the Sabromaru distillery made two types of peat: the traditional Highland inland peat and the Islay sea peat. The inland peat has a straighter and more powerful smokiness than the Islay peat, with dry, wood-burning dry nuances. The wooden vats introduced in this year enabled a diverse fermentation process using unique lactic acid bacteria, resulting in a combination of fruity and malty characteristics. Please check out the arrival point of Inland Pete, which has been continued from Saburomaru II.
| Alcohol content | 60% alcohol by volume |
| Capacity | 700ml |
| Year of distillation | 2020 |
| Bottling year | 2024 |
| Ingredients | Malt (Hebeley Highland Peated) |
| Suggested retail price | 19,000 yen (20,900 yen including consumption tax) |
| Number of bottles sold | 1,900 bottles |
| Sold to | Japan, overseas (sold out in Japan) |
2-2. single malt Saburomaru Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance Type:Lucifer #210160
Image source: Saburomaru Distillery Wins Top Award in Category at whisky WWA 2025 | press release
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Vengeance], the latest in the popular RPG [Shin Megami Tensei: Vengeance] series by Atlus Corporation, and the Saburomaru Distillery, a whisky distillery that continues to evolve every year with the introduction of new equipment and innovations in its production by blender and manager Takahiko Inagaki. This is a product of collaboration between [Vengeance] and [Saburomaru Distillery], a whisky distillery that is constantly evolving by introducing new facilities and innovations every year.
| Alcohol content | 50% alcohol by volume |
| Capacity | 700ml |
| Year of distillation | 2021 |
| Year of bottling | 2024 |
| Ingredients | Malt (Hebele Isle Peated) |
| Suggested retail price | 22,000 yen (24,200 yen including consumption tax) |
| Number of bottles sold | 250 bottles |
| Sold to | Japan *Already sold out. |
About Saburomaru Distillery
Saburomaru Distillery
| Location | 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, they 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. 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, the company collaborated with a local company, Oigo Seisakusho, to develop a cast pod still, ZEMON.
In 2020, one wooden vat fermenter was installed.
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 with a die, which allows for quick delivery. Also, sufficient wall thickness can be added at a low cost, which increases the service life of the main 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 said to mellow the taste of sakesince ancient times, and has been used in sake vessels and shochu coolers. zemoncontributes to the production ofhigh quality spirits through the dual effects of copper and tin.
Reference: Wakatsuru Sake Brewery official website
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For information on Saburomaru Distillery, please see also here↓.
