Karuizawa - reactivation

We are used to the fact that if we talk about the start of construction work on a new whisky plant, the focus is almost always on Scotland. This time, however, is different, because and unusual and hotly anticipated project.

In December 2020, we reported on Karuizawa Distillers Inc, founded in Japan., which has set itself the goal of resurrecting a legend, the Karuizawa distillery. True, the new distillery will be called Komoro, but it will have a lot in common with the original Karuizawa, which operated from 1955 to 2000. Like the original Karuizawa, it will be located on the slope of the Asama volcano in Nagano Prefecture, about 10 kilometers from where Karuizawa once operated.

The state-of-the-art Komoro distillery will be located at an altitude of 910 meters above sea level, and its rather cumbersome logistical location is supposed to give it access to crystal clear, perfect water and optimal conditions for maturing the whisky produced here. According to the project's originator and founder of Karuizawa Distillers, Koji Shimaoka, the distillery's mission will be to produce Japan's finest whisky while paying homage to Karuizawa and preserving its legacy.

Construction work was scheduled for 2021, and production was to begin in spring 2022. When planning the construction of the distillery, no one anticipated the problems associated with the pandemic, which virtually stopped all work for about a year. At the moment, work has already begun, and whiskey production is expected to begin in the thoroughly modern glass-walled plant in the spring of 2023. There will be tours of the distillery, as well as the activities of a world-class whisky academy on the premises. One of the founders of Karuizawa Distillers is Ian Chang, who previously served as master distiller at Kavalan in Taiwan. At the new plant, he will serve as master buyer.

All indications are that, as with Scotland's legendary Brora, Port Ellen and Rosebank distilleries, the time has also come in Japan to reactivate the legends of the local distilling industry. It's just a shame that you'll have to wait at least several, if not more than a dozen years for the results.


[01.03.2022 / Photo: Karuizawa Distillers]