The Shirakawa Distillery, with a vibrant history stretching from 1939 to 2003, prominently in the 1950s and 60s, remains largely a mystery despite its significant contribution to Japan’s whisky heritage.
Established in 1939 in Fukushima by Daikoku Budoshu, and subsequently owned by Takara Shuzo Co., Ltd. from 1947, the distillery underwent transformations and began robust production of various liquors, notably pioneering malt whisky-making in Japan starting in 1951. The last remaining whisky parcel from Shirakawa, dating back to 1958, utilized domestic malted barley, underwent a 5-day fermentation process, and was distilled in twin copper pots, maturing in Mizunara (Japanese oak) casks from Tohoku and Hokkaido.
Malt whisky was a minor component in products marketed as whisky in Japan until the early 80s. All whisky from Shirakawa was destined for “King Whisky,” Takara Shuzo’s flagship blend, and never released as a single malt due to a shift in focus to shochu, especially during the shochu boom of the 1980s.
The Shirakawa Distillery experienced a gradual decline starting in the 1990s, serving merely as a bottling facility in its final years until its closure and demolition in 2003, silently tucking away a precious fragment of Japanese whisky history.
The recent discovery of ageing Shirakawa liquid began at the Tomatin Distillery in Scotland, thanks to a collaboration between Tomatin and its owner, Takara Shuzo Co. Ltd, which also owned Shirakawa. This will be the only official single malt ever to be released from the Shirakawa Distillery, marking it as an incredibly rare expression.
In 2019, Single Malt Whisky from Shirakawa was discovered, having been transferred into stainless steel tanks at an undisclosed time and subsequently forgotten.
This 1958 release, the earliest known single vintage Japanese whisky ever bottled, emanates from an era when the distillery primarily used Japanese malted barley and Mizunara oak casks, even though production details remain elusive.
Each bottle of this momentous single malt is cradled within a gold and charred wooden box, which, upon opening, unveils the whisky, basking in a radiant glow emanating from the golden backdrop.
Limited to 1500 bottles, this will be the only official single malt ever to be released from the Shirakawa Distillery, marking it as an incredibly rare expression.