Japan: Craft whisky maker Venture Whisky to build a new distillery in Hokkaido

Venture Whisky, the craft distiller known for its award-winning Ichiro's Malt whisky, will build a distillery in Hokkaido in northern Japan and start making grain whisky there as early as the spring of 2025, Nikkei Asia reported on May 28.

Founded in 2004, Venture Whisky has spearheaded a craft-whisky boom in Japan and has mentored other distillers in whisky making.

Ichiro's Malt was recently named the world's best blended, limited-release whiskey at the World Whiskies Awards 2023. It is one of the top brands of Japanese craft whiskies and its founder Ichiro Akuto is often described as a rock star of the Japanese whisky industry.

The company, located in the Saitama prefecture city of Chichibu, plans to acquire a 6.6-hectare site for the distillery south of Sapporo in the Tomakomai Eastern Area, an industrial zone that extends over parts of the port city of Tomakomai and the towns of Atsuma and Abira, and expects to produce about 2.4 million liters of grain whisky annually, using corn and other cereal grains.

The company says it began considering setting up a distillery in Hokkaido three to four years ago. It looked for a location near a port in view of the need to import raw materials from North America and other regions and to export products.

"We chose Hokkaido because grain whisky would require a larger site than malt whisky," said Yumi Yoshikawa, the company's brand ambassador. The availability of large amounts of clean water and appropriate climatic conditions also convinced the company to choose Japan's northernmost main island, she said.

At the distillery, the company will install Coffey stills, a type that is uncommon among Japanese whisky makers, as well as storehouses, and estimates an investment of several billion yen (tens of millions of dollars). Though less efficient and harder to operate compared to modern stills, spirits made from Coffey stills tend to have a more complex flavor profile.

The Tomakomai Eastern Area is conveniently situated about a 15-minute drive from New Chitose Airport. "That a pioneer of craft whisky in Japan is coming here reminds that Hokkaido is suitable for the production of whisky and will raise the name recognition of the area," said Yasuhiro Tsuji, president of Tomatoh, the developer of the area.

Nikka Whisky Distilling's Yoichi distillery is located in Hokkaido as well.

Venture Whisky says it has so far used whisky barrels made of wood from mizunara Japanese oaks (Quercus crispula) growing in Hokkaido. Compared with ordinary oak barrels, mizunara barrels give whisky "a stronger flavor like an aromatic wood," Yoshikawa said.

The company will continue to procure the barrels. It is also considering making whisky using corn grown in Hokkaido, an activity that may help advertise the local product.

In mid-April, when Akuto visited Chichibu City Hall, Mayor Atsushi Kitabori lauded the company. "Your dedication to whisky has been recognized around the world. Your whisky is now a major brand in Chichibu," he said.

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