Lottery applications for original festival-only bottles for Whisky Festival 2023 in TOKYO are now open, from November 1 to 14, 2023. Details of the bottles and how to apply.
Original bottles by a total of five Japanese distilleries and importers. The casks were selected by Mamoru Tsuchiya, representative of the Whisky Culture Institute, and bottled in cask strength single cask. These original bottles will be sold by lottery only to those who purchase tickets to “Whisky Festival 2023 in Tokyo“. *Ticket sales have ended as all of the first four sections are sold out.
1. Lottery schedule
Lottery sales information (e-mail): November 1 (Wed.)
Lottery application period: November 1 (Wed) to November 14 (Tue.), 17:00
Notification of lottery results (via e-mail): November 16 (Thu.)
Bottles will be sent to the winners in order from November 18 (Sat.) to 22 (Wed.).
・Please apply for the prize using the Google Form in the e-mail.
・One entry per admission ticket.
・Payment must be made by cash on delivery (COD) at the time of receipt of the product, and a separate shipping and COD fee of 1,330 yen (including tax) is required.
・Cancellation is not allowed after notification of winning result.
For more information, click here.
2. Festival limited original bottle details
2-1. M&H 2018 4 years
Capacity: 700ml
Alcohol content: 65.4％
Cask type: Jamaican rum
Label: Glover Collection 33 Sphyrna zygaena
Number of bottles sold: 100 bottles
Cask Strength / Non-Pete
Retail price: 14,300 yen (including tax) → 15,630 yen (including shipping and handling)
2-2. OSUZU MALT 2019 3 years
Capacity: 700 ml
Alcohol content: 59%
Barrel type: cedar barrels
Label: Glover Collection 34 Abalistes stellatus
Number of bottles sold: 180 bottles
Cask Strength / Non-Pete
Retail price: 17,600 yen (including tax) → 18,930 yen (including shipping and handling)
2-3. Sakurao 2019 4 years
Capacity: 700 ml
Alcohol content: 53％
Barrel type: bourbon barrel
Label: Glover Collection 35 Sacura margaritacea
Number of bottles sold: 170 bottles
Single cask / 20ppm peat
Retail price: 15,400 yen (including tax) → 16,730 yen (including shipping and handling)
2-4. Chichibu 2012 10 years
Capacity: 700ml
Alcohol content: 63%
Cask type: Hogshead (Hanyu, Kagami-ita Mizunara)
Label: Tomoko Watanabe’s print “Chichibu”
Number of bottles sold: 160 bottles
Cask Strength / Non-Pete
Retail price: 25,300 yen (including tax) → 26,630 yen (including shipping and handling)
2-5. Komagatake 2017 6 years
Capacity: 700ml
Alcohol content: 61％
Barrel type: Bourbon barrel
Label: Mamoru Tsuchiya’s original photo “Tibetan Padmasaｍbhava’s Masked Dance”
Number of bottles sold: 170 bottles
Single cask / 20ppm peat
Retail price: 16,500 yen (including tax) → 17,830 yen (including shipping and handling)
3. Finally
This is a valuable original limited edition bottle for the festival. Tickets for the festival have already sold out, but if you were able to purchase one, don’t forget to apply. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Japanese whisky. The closing ceremony will be held at the Tokyo venue of “Whisky Festival 2023“!
As the official Whisky Festival guides, this year was indeed a year full of whisky festivals being held for the first time in various regions, or being revived after several years. There are already plans to hold several more festivals next year. Japanese whisky is becoming more and more popular. I am sure that many new craft whiskies will be released in the coming year and beyond. I can’t keep up with them all, but it will be fun to find my favorite distillery.
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.
