Whisky lovers rejoice – the world’s rarest Japanese whisky and oldest single malt is going to be available for the lucky few who can get their hands on it. A golden liquid from a shuttered and lost Japanese distillery is being released for the first time, making it the rarest Japanese whisky available.
Dating back to 1939, the Shirakawa distillery was located 200km north of Tokyo and was bought by Takara Shuzo in 1947. It produced malt whisky from 1951 to 1969, all of which was meant to be blended and the majority of which was used in creating Takara Shuzo’s flagship blended “King” whisky. Despite being used only in blends, the whisky was known for its fantastic quality – spending a remarkable five days fermenting to create a spirit of incredible vibrancy and character. The whisky was never meant to be released as a single malt, until now, when 1,500 bottles of this precious liquid are being released by Takara Shuzo, with distribution worldwide from Scottish distillery Tomatin.
“There are no known examples of Japanese whisky claiming to be from a single vintage that predate Shirakawa 1958,” says Stefan van Eycken, Japanese whisky and distilling expert. “Even though Shirakawa Distillery was one of the pioneers of malt whisky-making in Japan, the liquid was never officially available as a single malt. This limited 1,500 bottle release will see the Japanese whisky category, one of the most sought-after categories of spirit in the world, continue to grow from strength to strength.”
The whisky they know was distilled in 1958, aged in oak casks and then transferred to ceramic jars before being moved to stainless steel tanks when Shirakawa closed. The whisky is a natural caramel colour and 49% with notes of candied pineapple, orange peel, zingy apple, sandalwood and cedar coming from the cask that was probably mizunara oak, but so little is known about the distillation and maturation process that no one can be certain. The whisky has a rich sweetness that is balanced by toasty and herbal notes and a hint of wax, spice and camphor.
With just 1,500 bottles available and this being the only bottling, whisky lovers will have to act quickly to get their chance to try Shirakawa 1958. Bottles are available from tomatindistillery.com and selected retail partners including Harrods, Berry Bros, The Whisky Exchange and Royal Mile Whiskies.
