New distillery in Taiki-chou, Hokkaido. The company was established under the slogan “locally made whisky.
Taiki Town is located about 60 km south of Obihiro, Hokkaido, and is a land that has been actively attracting experiments and flight tests in the field of aviation and space under the slogan “Space Town Development”.
The parent company of the distillery to be established is Bishokul, a company that offers a high-end gourmet food ordering service with the aim of branding local products and creating an exclusive local community.
The board of directors includes businessman Takafumi Horie, Master of whisky Kazunori Shizutani, and Kenichiro Hayashi of the long-established liquor store Naganoya.
Distillery Concept
Japanese whisky” recognized around the world
Today, the demand for Japanese whisky is increasing worldwide. There are quite a few distilleries in the market, and it is likely that they will be competing with each other for the shelves and stores in Japan and abroad.
Distilleries that have already been established can confirm their performance and future prospects by tasting new makes and other products.
For distilleries that are planning to build in the future, I think consumers need to have a solid concept and realize it.
Taiki Cosmic Glen Distillery seems to have the following concept
A darling of the whisky world is born, made with local ingredients from Taiki’s rich natural environment.
Most “Japanese whisky” is produced in Japan, but most of the ingredients are imported from overseas.
The main ingredient is dent corn, which is a grain, peat, which characterizes the aroma of the whisky, and the Rekibune River, which has been selected as one of the 100 clearest rivers in Japan, all of which are essential for whisky production.
By using these local ingredients from Taiki-chou and maturing them in small barrels, we are able to produce whisky with a rich flavor that cannot be found anywhere else.
Commitment to Local Made, Aiming for “Japanese Whisky in the True Sense of the Word
The raw materials grown in the rich natural environment of Taiki-chou reflect the blessings of the region and the Japanese climate as they are, and give the whisky a rich character that can only be created in Taiki-chou, Hokkaido.
We believe that the fusion of Japanese distilling techniques cultivated over many years will enable us to provide “true” Japanese whisky that transcends the boundaries of “made in Japan” and allows our customers to enjoy the entirety of the Japanese climate.
We are pursuing new possibilities for locally made Japanese whisky that is different from whisky made from imported ingredients, and through this project, we also aim to contribute to the local economy by revitalizing agriculture and attracting tourism to Taiki Town.
- Dent corn produced in Taiki Town
- Water from the Rekibune River, selected as one of the 100 clearest streams in Japan
- Local peat
The concept of the distillery is to make whisky with these three raw materials as weapons and to make whisky that is “locally made.
Does the use of dent corn mean that [grain whisky] is produced, and if we follow the definition of Japanese whisky, we will always use malt and thus burn peat in the process?
It is assumed that smoky grain whisky or single malt, etc. are planned in the future.
The actual cask materials and distillation equipment to be used are currently unknown.
2. cask owner wanted
There are many unknowns, but the first cask owners are already being recruited.
Taiki Cosmic Glen Distillery is now accepting applications for the first phase of cask owners, limited to 200 casks.
Plan Details
Application fee: 1 cask, approx. 200 liters, 1,500,000 yen (tax not included)
(Excluding liquor tax, bottling costs, and delivery charges)
The keg will be returned to us after bottling is completed.
Liquor tax is calculated by multiplying the alcoholic content per liter by 10 yen.
Bottling fee: 500 yen per bottle (700ml) (tax not included)
Shipping cost] 1,100 yen per case (12 bottles) (within Japan excluding Okinawa and isolated islands)Application period
Start of sales: November 28, 2024 (Thursday) from 12:00
Sales end: Friday, February 28, 2025 (12:00)
The sales will be closed when the maximum number of applicants has been reached.○Details and application
Please check the following link.
https://swswl.ink/hguprMj
To be honest, I feel quite uncomfortable purchasing something that I don’t know the specs, barrels, or distillation method just from what is written here, but I wonder if there are people who are involved or who are buying as a support purchase for the distillery?
I can’t find any official website, so maybe it is distributed through social networking sites.
I am sure more information will be disseminated in the future.
Whisky using local products is expected to be mentioned more and more in the future, and if a local distillery is able to create a local product in a very small area like Taiki Town, we may see even more small distilleries entering the market in the future.
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.
