Hakushu Story Of The Distillery Single Malt Japanese Whisky 700ml (2024 Release)

Suntory's younger sibiling, Hakushu distillery is a bit of a hidden gem. Established in 1973 in the town of Hokuto, in the Yamanashi Prefecture, Chūbu region. It's higher elevation at 700 meters above sea level (Scotland's highest distilleries are Dalwhinnie and Braeval, both about 355 meters.) and water source are said to be the key features that distinguish Hakushu, in addition to working with both un-peated and peated malt (sourced from Scotland) at roughly 25ppm, compared to its big sister, Yamazaki, who uses up to 40ppm. 

The Hakushu Distillery was founded half a century after Yamazaki. Keizo Saji, the Yamazaki's second Master Blender, inherited his father’s quest to push the boundaries of what a Japanese whisky could be. His epic quest to find pristine water that would produce the most delicately aromatic whisky led him to the heart of rugged mountains and hidden river sources, where he discovered a site worth of the the distillery.

Today, Hakushu Distillery is one of the highest distilleries in the world, built amidst the deepest forests of Mt. Kaikomagatake in the Japanese Southern Alps. The majestic forest that surrounds the Hakushu Distillery shelters an abundance of plant varieties reflecting the many expressions of Japanese nature. The malt whiskies born here are simultaneously blessed with a very particular microclimate, verdant forests, and water offering a rare softness only made possible by filtration of rain and snow through thousand-year-old granite rocks.