Review of Kizakura Tanba Single Malt from Tanba Distillery by Kizakura Co.Features, price, and how to purchase.
Kizakura Tanba Distillery has been selling two types of malt every year since 2022, and now they have released their first standard product, Kizakura Tanba Single Malt, by combining all the knowledge and technology they have cultivated so far.
１．Pictures of the bottles and the website where they can be purchased.
Kizakura Tanba Single Malt
Kizakura Tanba single malt
２．Kizakura Tanba Single Malt Characteristics
The “Tanba Single Malt” series has been releasing two types per year, starting in 2022, for a total of six types.
We have created the Japanese whisky “Tanba Single Malt” by combining our knowledge of the characteristics of the original sake produced by Kizakura, the environment in which it is aged, and the techniques we have cultivated through this process.
This product, which will be a standard product of Tanba, expresses the “gorgeous and core flavor” that Tanba Distillery aims for by blending the original bourbon cask sake and other sake aged in a variety of casks.
It is characterized by bright, floral aromas and a full, deep finish.Quote: Excerpt from manufacturer’s data
２－１．Tasting Notes
| fragrance | White peaches, white flowers, meringue confections, soft sweet bean jelly or paste |
| flavor | Peach candy, kiwi acidity, cashews, sweet and fresh |
| aftertaste | Gorgeous, bright sweetness followed by nutty and cereal flavors. |
２－２．Product Specs
| alcohol content (usu. expressed per cent) | 47% |
| distinction by alcohol | Single Malt Japanese whisky |
| cask-type | Key Malt: Mainly aged in bourbon barrels |
| quantity of content | 700ml |
| Number of units sold | staple product |
| MSRP | 9,900 yen (tax included) |
| Release Date | May 2025 |
３．Awards
No awards have been received at this time.
４．List price and online price
４－１．manufacturer’s suggested retail price
| trade (brand) name | Kizakura Tanba Single Malt |
| capacity | 700ml |
| MSRP | 9,900 yen (tax included) |
４－２．Resale prices on Mercari
Resale prices on Mercari cannot be confirmed at this time.(*As of 5/21/2025)
４－３．Yahoo Auction Sold Price
The auction was not confirmed as a current sale on Yahoo Auctions.Past series have had sales.(*as of 5/21/2025)
４－４．Rakuten, Yahoo Shopping, Amazon
The exhibit could not be confirmed on the mail order site. (*As of 5/21/2025)
４－５．Prices offered at BAR Shinkai
At “BAR Shinkai” operated by this site, one glass is at 45 ml: 3,300 yen, 30 ml: 2,200 yen, and 15 ml: 1,100 yen.
５．What is Kizakura Co?
| Company Name | Kizakura Co. |
| Establishment | October 1925 |
| Location of the Agency | 223 Shioya-machi, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, 612-8046, Japan |
| Owned distilleries | Tanba Distillery |
６．What is Tanba Distillery?
| Distillery name | Tanba Distillery |
| location | 1-19 Kondachohonjo dogaya, Tanba-Sasayama, Hyogo, Japan |
| Commencement of operations | 2018 |
We have been producing locally brewed beer for some time and are using our procurement channels to select raw materials in order to achieve the ideal aroma and flavor of the original brew. The malt used is English malt, both peated and nonpeated.
The brewery began in 1998 as the first microbrewery in Kyoto, and utilizes its beer production techniques to prepare the best wort for whisky.The company takes full advantage of its unique fermentation technology cultivated in sake brewing, including fermentation control methods by toji (master brewers) and the use of various yeasts, including sake yeast, to manage the fermentation of the mash.Fermentation tanks include two wooden fermentation tanks made by Garberotto of Italy and four open-type hollow tanks.The fermentation time for unrefined sake is 4 to 7 days.
Previously used a stainless steel distiller; in 2021 introduced a copper pot still made by Forsyth in Scotland. First distillation: 2,500L straight type Second distillation: 2,000L bulge type
The distillery is located at an altitude of about 300 meters above sea level, surrounded by mountains rich in nature and deep greenery known as the “Tanba Forest”.The annual temperature difference is 30 degrees Celsius, and the distillery is shrouded in fog in the mornings.
A wide variety of casks are used for aging, including bourbon casks, new casks, Richter cask, various sherry casks, and Mizunara casks.
The Tanba Distillery New born Non-Pete Sherry Cask Aged 19 Months won the Category Winner award at the World Whisky Awards 2024.
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| 2004 | Licensed to produce mono-style shochu; distillation begins at the Tanba factory site.Production of authentic shochu begins with a single stainless steel pot still. |
| 2006 | Company name changed to Kizakura Co. |
| 2018 | Licensed to manufacture whisky.Begins production. |
| 2021 | Kizakura Craft Gin “Hana Monogatari” is released.Two Forsyth distillers are installed and full-scale whisky production begins. |
| 2024 | Kizakura single malt whisky “Tanba” and Kizakura blended malt whisky “Sakura Chronos” are released. |
For more information about Kizakura Tanba Distillery, please see also here↓.
７．summary
Although it is a standard item, it still does not seem to be in wide circulation.
We have started to introduce pot stills from 2021, and it seems that we are probably using their original sake from this time on.
This standard product is full and gorgeous, with a matured taste that can be enjoyed only with sake yeast and the temperature difference in Tanba.
If you see this bottle, please pick it up.
■Please check out other articles about “Kizakura Tanba Distillery” 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.
