In the cold of Niigata, central Japan, a little distillery - amongst the smallest of the country, in fact - is running left where its peers are giving everything they've got to sprint right. Yet, where every other distillery chases their dream of becoming the next great Japanese distilling story, one Yoshida Denzai (吉田電材蒸留所) believes that it might instead stand a shot at being the one to supply all of that stardust.

Where most distilleries have opted to focus on malt whisky, much in the vein of the originating single malt Scotch, which is highly favoured the world over in modern times, and have therefore commanded higher prices, Yoshida Denzai has chosen to focus solely on grain whiskies, thereby forgoing the popular incumbent style. Whilst this might seem like a peculiar choice or perhaps a narrow one, through the lens of Niigata-based Yoshida Denzai, that couldn't be any less the case - which should also be not all that surprising given the distillery's name, which might be familiar to the Japanese public as a long-standing company whose mainstay business is to produce medical and industrial components for major electronics corporations the likes of Hitachi.

Two sides of a manufacturing coin.

At the tip of the iceberg, what Yoshida Denzai really wants to do is not all that different from what it already does - that is to produce components that empower other brands to make their own blends - and so as some might have already guessed, the goal here is for the dedicated grain distillery to sell its grain whiskies to other distilleries. But why would other distilleries need grain whiskies, and much less from another distillery? 

For that, we have to wind back the clock to some 20 years prior. Just past the turn of the 20th century, Japanese whiskies began to finally have its long awaited moment - and quite honestly, one that came as a surprise to even its makers - where it took off around the world and inadvertently outgrew the structures around it. Japan has been making whiskies since the early 1920's, and yet for over eight decades, it would at times find some bit of tailwind but not quite what it was about to experience into the early 2000's. Into the 2010's, thanks to a bunch of factors from having been featured in pop culture to winning international awards, all of a sudden no one could keep up - not production, not regulation, not the industry. Whiskies couldn't be made fast enough (because the years long maturation needed cannot move any faster than one day at a time); and perhaps most paradoxically, up until recently, there was in fact no definition for what exactly was "Japanese whisky", all the while, anything labelled or called as such was a surefire recipe to fly off the shelves - now who, or whom, then, should, or would, get to then decide what would constitute this massively fast growing and obviously lucrative industry? As you can already see, the number of loose ends and grey zones were just about everywhere, and any in-route that could be made to definitively deciding upon one determination or another was being outpaced in the count of lightyears. 

A panel of Japanese whisky luminaries speaking on the importance of the industry coming together to protect the category of Japanese whisky.

And whilst on the surface, fans were treated to one exciting release after another, Japanese whisky insiders were pushing hard for what was pretty much a free-for-all to setting up a first semblance of category definitions. As exhilarating as it might've been to see their work finally gain its long awaited and well-deserved recognition after close to a century (and now just beyond a 100 years from when whiskies were first made in Japan) - some have even later reflected that they had by then come to terms with the possibility that it might never happen in their lifetimes - the longstanding figures of the industry, many of whom almost serve as the industry's guardians, knew full well that if proper ground rules were not established to guarantee Japanese whisky's authenticity and quality, then what could well be the country's golden era might easily slip by and culminate into little more than a flash in a pan.

Now, make no mistake - this had nothing to do with competition between distilleries locally, likely very little to do with keeping up with international whisky standards, and especially of no such desire to entrench a particular style of whiskies - after all, this burgeoning scene had as many styles as there were distilleries, par for the course for exactly the exciting new arena that Japanese whisky was - almost every distiller big or small could agree that all they really wanted was a distinction between what was locally made and therefore actually Japanese. Consumer fervour could only go so far before reality would inevitably strike, and if it started to feel like what they were chasing after wasn't all that it was made out to be, then that passion would quickly dwindle. And thus a deep and strong sense of urgency ran through the industry, only intensifying as more and more whiskies which were in fact imported from overseas (and then bottled and branded locally, with some even starting to completely bypass the performative gesture) were increasingly passed off as Japanese whisky. It was a fight against misrepresentation.

A designation you'll soon be seeing much more of that will indicate authentic Japanese whisky!

This all ultimately materialised into arguably just one rule - although most crucial and also symbolic - that anything labelled "Japanese whisky" must be of Japanese water, fermented, distilled and aged in Japan for at least 3 years and finally bottled in Japan. In essence, the spirit of the new rule, which would therefore now allow for an outline of the industry itself to take shape and form around, was that Japanese whiskies must be of Japanese origins in any aspect that is essential to the whisky. Everything else could be dealt with later, by the now industry regulator, the Japanese Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association, or JSLMA.

And that's thus far the backdrop upon which Yoshida Denzai, Japan's first independent craft grain distillery, finds itself established in 2022.

With these regulations decisively and finally in place (also working now towards its own Geographical Indication status that will protect the "Japanese Whisky" designation internationally), after a century of Japanese whiskies having been actively made, there now starts to rapidly crystallise a distinct form of the category and industry, and thus distilleries have begun to work from that very basis towards the future, to ensure that what they produce can eke out the utmost from carrying that crucial label - this all made possible from that pivotal first step of defining what even is "Japanese whisky"!

Now, whilst single malts have been all the rage the world over, the reality is that in Japan, blended malts are really where it's at - for both the folks producing whiskies and those consuming it. Japan's historical origins of its very own whiskymaking is testament to that, with the first Scotch style whiskies made in Japan finding it difficult to gain a solid footing for its strong taste and lack of compatibility with the local cuisine, where finally it was in fact a Highball dedicated blend that ultimately took off! And so within Japan, not only is the position of Master Blender - that's right, it's not Master Distiller - the most highly regarded, but the act of blending itself is most revered and any distillery will almost certainly cite their greatest ambition as having been able to create a high quality blend. For customers, another quality blend is almost definitely going to be a hit, making its way through everything from fine dining sushi restaurants, to cozy and fun-loving izakaya's, and of course the home bar.

The art of the Highball.

But with these new JSLMA regulations now fully in motion ever since 2024 (it was implemented in 2021, with a 3 year transition period), the surprising although not entirely shocking reality is that a number of Japan's most beloved blends can no longer carry the label of being "Japanese whisky". Now of course, these regulations are no matter to some of the country's larger and more established distilleries (who certainly are not about to - and in truth simply don't need to - sell their whiskies to other distilleries), with then only a handful of smaller, independent distilleries able to comply (almost always because they've already been in the drinks business for some time, with several having had a long history of making Shochu) - all because, the majority of distilleries simply don't have the ability to produce grain whiskies in Japan. 

And so it all starts to become clear that whilst every distillery is chasing down establishing themselves as the next great Japanese distilling story, it was but Yoshida Denzai who had figured that perhaps it could add more value to the industry by selling the picks and shovels - that is, to sell Japanese grain whiskies to other distilleries looking to make their own Japanese whisky blends.

Masashi Matsumoto.

This was thus the brainchild of Masashi Matsumoto (松本 匡史 / Kouji Matsumoto), the third-generation chief of the Yoshida Denzai company. Matsumoto-san's grandfather had founded the machinery manufacturing company in Tokyo in 1940, with the company having had a long history of producing made-to-order machinery and industrial parts for its customers and thus has always had a streak of being highly skilled at devising innovative solutions through trial and error, as well as producing solutions from scratch and seeing it all the way to production. In particular, one such machine that it helps produce is the X-Ray machines used in hospitals, and thus has several factories around the country, with one in Niigata. Nevertheless, growing up third-generation Matsumoto-san had been much more interested in food production, having been particularly moved by a childhood experience where he had learnt of the famines in Ethiopia, and thus went on to study agriculture in university, eventually working outside the family's factory and unrelated to machinery manufacturing. Yet, as is common with many family businesses, Yoshida Denzai had no successor beyond Matsumoto-san, and thus he would return to helm the business. Through this time, Matsumoto-san would persist with his love for food and drinks, even achieving a whisky professional certification.

And so when the Covid pandemic had struck, Yoshida Denzai's particular transformer manufacturing business would slow down significantly just as the company had purchased a new factory with the goal of expanding the segment. With the outlook uncertain, Matsumoto-san having learnt that whisky exports had surpassed Sake exports in Japan for the first time ever in 2021, had thus decided that this new factory could instead be used to pursue a completely different industry.

"As a latecomer, we wanted to differentiate ourselves by creating something different from other distilleries. I want to contribute to domestic whiskey with our grain whiskey." says Matsumoto-san.

Yet, Matsumoto-san was also at the same time acutely aware of how many distilleries in Japan were already in operation, and did not want to simply be one more of the same. With the desire to add unique value to the whisky scene, in particular through expanding the diversity of Japanese whiskies available by producing something that not as many distilleries were producing, coupled with the then newly passed Japanese whisky regulations, as well as passion for working with 100% Japanese ingredients (which Matsumoto-san believes will be the "true Japanese whisky"), Matsumoto-san would thus land on grain whiskies as Yoshida Denzai's focus. That said, Matsumoto-san also believes that grain whiskies are highly underrated as being perceived as a silent component to a whisky blend (as compared to the more flavourful malt whisky components), when at the same time, American Bourbons and whiskies are nevertheless seen as being flavour forward and exciting even though they are typically made with a grain mashbill instead of 100% malted barley - this disjoint in perception further amplified Matsumoto-san's perspective that grain whiskies could in fact provide for a creative canvas that has thus far been largely unexplored in Japan.

The seaside coastal town of Murakami, Niigata.

And so set in Murakami, Niigata, north of the city center and right along the coast flanking the Sea of Japan, Yoshida Denzai Grain Distillery would get underway - no name change was needed, with Matsumoto-san explaining that "the company name would be more interesting".

The first order of business was to get their hands on some grain - and in particular, local grains. Yoshida Denzai has highlighted that beyond moving eventually to sourcing all 100% of their grains locally, another key goal for them into the future is to make whiskies out of local specialty grains that will convey an even more unique yet distinctively Japanese flavour, with for example the use of rice and buckwheat. Nevertheless being new to distilling, the distillery has decided to start with a conventional Bourbon recipe - although it should be pointed out that Bourbon cannot be made outside of the United States - where a particular high-starch grain dent corn is required (as opposed to the typical high-sugar sweet corn that is eaten as food). Yet this proved to be an immediate challenge as the grain corn needed is sparsely grown in Japan given the low prices it commands, and of what little is produced, is typically used for animal feed, with Japan as a country heavily reliant on imported grain corn (99.99% is imported) from the United States and Brazil. Consequently the majority of whiskies made in Japan are produced with imported ingredients (although several craft distilleries have pushed for local ingredients as the next frontier), given the difficulty to acquire the same produce locally at scale, which should be noted as permissible by JSLMA regulations. 

Corn fields in Hokkaido.

Thankfully, Matsumoto-san would come to meet Koji Yanagihara, a farmer in Naganuma, Hokkaido, who had been trialing an experimental rotational farming practice so as to improve his crop yields. Yanagihara had wanted to solve a crop rotation disorder that his farm had experienced, where repeated planting of the same crop would ultimately result in a drop in yield, and thus had figured that if he had alternated by growing dent grain corn in between harvests, that this would help improve the condition. And where Matsumoto-san needed the corn, Yanagihara had needed someone to buy his corn, which thus made for an ideal match. This even has the added benefit of helping Matsumoto-san reduce the time taken for Yoshida Denzai to receive its agricultural supplies; where imported produce takes 6 months to arrive, it only takes several days for the corn to make its way from Hokkaido to Niigata, which in turn also mitigates crop spoilage, and is said to result in a richer and sweeter taste of Yoshida Denzai's whiskies as a result of the corn's freshness.

As it turns out, Yanagihara is but part of a broader picture of a Hokkaido that has over the past several decades become increasingly responsible for much of Japan's agricultural output, from potatoes to grapes, and of course corn. As a result of global warming, the northernmost Japanese prefecture in fact now produces 40% of Japan's total corn output (and also 90% of the country's Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), making it the latest viticulture hotspot for the country - and by extension an intensely exciting hotbed for distilleries looking to make grain whiskies and wineries aiming to produce world class pinot noir. Whilst it still of course is small in comparison to major agricultural countries from the US to China and Brazil, it is nevertheless significant for the country as it continues to amplify its desire to produce with local ingredients (the majority of what is produced in Hokkaido is transported out of the prefecture for use). Consequently, Yanagihara has formed the Hokkaido Shijitsu Corn Kumiai, a prefectural grain corn cooperative, that brings together over 144 farming households, which today has delivered over 80 tons of suitable dent corn to Yoshida Denzai's distillery (the distillery even returns the spent grains to farmers for use as natural fertiliser). 

Matsumoto-san has begun working with local farmers to establishing new supplies of local grains.

“I hope I will be able to contribute to revitalizing agriculture by making whisky with domestic ingredients,”

Matsumoto-san, Yoshida Denzai Distillery

News of this pioneering distillery-cooperative would spur numerous farmers too who have since come forth to work with Yoshida Denzai in producing specific grains to be used for whiskymaking, thereby helping Yoshida Denzai reach closer to its goal (where previously distillers had little local grains to work with and thus relied on imports) and at the same time pushing forward growth and new opportunities in Hokkaido's agricultural industry. The local government too has recognised that the use of local grains in authentic Japanese whisky can help to spotlight local produce and raise its perception, and thus the  Agriculture and Forestry Division of Sekikawa Village Office has even stepped in to encourage local farmers to experiment into growing other possible grains such as rye. Today, Yoshida Denzai sources 70% of its grains locally, with a remaining 30% that is imported, which Matsumoto-san hopes to close the gap and become fully domestic into the future.

Yoshida Denzai has even developed its own grain processing machinery.

In the process of learning the ins and outs of utilising local grains to make whisky domestically, Yoshida Denzai would encounter something that is largely taken for granted - the malting of the grain. In Scotland (and broadly Europe), grain malting is a common process with dedicated facilities shared by numerous distilleries or maltsters who provide ready-to-use malted grain. Yet, in Japan, as most grain comes already malted upon arrival (especially for the larger distilleries), the facilities and equipment to do so is much more uncommon. As a result, Matsumoto-san would have the distillery employ a Monozukuri Yoshida Denzai initiative ("Monozukuri" meaning to "combine", here taken to mean providing a service that is end-to-end), not unlike Yoshida Denzai's mainstay business, where the distillery would not only source the grain, but will also offer malting services as well, thereby processing the grains to be ready for use. To do so, Yoshida Denzai has also developed its own malting machinery, so that it can take the entire process in-house, and also offer distillery customers a more bespoke solution as to what type of grain whiskies they might want to use for their blends. To that end, it's unsurprising that Yoshida Denzai has also built a dedicated barrel storage facility that can help distillery customers store and age the grain whiskies purchased from Yoshida Denzai.

With the grains secured, the next step for Yoshida Denzai to get their license and have the distillery's facilities built up. Yet, Japan has been notoriously tight on granting licenses as a result of decades of oversupply from declining domestic demand that threatened the country's existing local liquor and alcohol industry then dominated by Sake. Yet since the turn of the century, a loosening of the regulation has been in the cards as a way for the country to spur the local economy and bring revitalisation in particular to more rural areas that have seen depopulation due to declining birthrates. And so for Yoshida Denzai, being a complete newcomer (a number of whisky distilleries have parent companies involved in the production of other drinks such as Shochu or Sake), would find out - in fact, it was also the first ever time their local tax office had even put together such an application - that they would require securing a sales channel before they even got their license. This meant that the team at Yoshida Denzai had to go knocking door-to-door to try and convince distributors of a product that wasn't even available yet! Thankfully the manager at a bar the team frequented would step in to help put them in touch with several hotels and restaurants, which allowed them to meet the requirements for a license.

When it came time to have the equipment installed - the combination of the Covid pandemic and the Ukraine crisis setting off would mean that equipment ordered from Europe could not be delivered; a further series of bad weather would also flood the factory, which altogether resulted in the distillery being opened 6 months late. Nevertheless, once again counting on the company's manufacturing capabilities, they were able to have several equipment parts fabricated in-house. Thankfully by 2022, Yoshida Denzai was now fully ready to make its whiskies.

American distiller Robert Bernecker of Koval Distillery was invited to witness Yoshida Denzai's first distillation run.

With the goal of working 100% with domestically sourced grains, Yoshida Denzai has as mentioned invested into developing the infrastructure needed to process these grains (where it is currently scarce in Japan), and is now able to crush and freely blend any number of grains for a range of mashbills. The company takes one day to crush the grains and then one more day to carry out its saccharification process, also employing the use of mashing equipment from German company Cote, such as its stainless steel cooker. Fermentation, with soft groundwater drawn from the Arakawa River (ranked as one of the cleanest waters in Japan), is then carried for three days, conducted in six stainless steel tanks (5,800 litres), with distillation then carried out in a hybrid still manufactured by German company KOTHE. The hybrid still that Yoshida Denzai uses is inspired by (and almost identical) to that of Chicago-based American distiller Koval -a 5,000 litre helmet shaped pot still that is fitted with a seven-tier column still - and as such Koval's founder, Robert Bernecker, was even invited to fly down from the United States to observe Yoshida Denzai's first distillation in October 2022. The distillery explains that its choice of still came down to its ability to combine the functions of both a single still that can bring out flavour and aroma, along with the efficiency of a continuous still.

Currently a single production run is one week from raw ingredients to raw spirit, with each cycle yielding 1.5 - 3 barrels of spirit, where the annual production capacity is set at 100kL. As the distillery remains new to the task, its goal is to first distill 180 times a year, and to produce about 100,000 litres of spirit with for now dent corn (Hokkaido), rye (Hokkaido) and malted barley (Ehime and Niigata, and also Germany), as it gradually moves towards 250 distillation cycles a year with 100% domestically sourced grains. The distillery has stated that as of yet, they're still very much focused on tweaking the process to gain more experience and insight into the various profiles of whiskies that they are able to and would like to produce, and as such have experimented with various heating methods and mashbill components and ratios, and in particular with the different configurations of column stills to be used. Yoshida Denzai has also highlight the possibility of using different yeasts in the future as well.

Whilst there's been no announcement made thus far as to any contracts its made with other distilleries, the distillery has made clear its value proposition in providing a high degree of customisation for the type of grain whiskies that it is able to produce, and on its own has stated that it will produce a "Loud Grain" grain whisky that is designed to embody strong and bold flavours, and also a range of "Small Batch Grain" which will feature the wide variety of grain whiskies that Yoshida Denzai is able to produce.

As of January 2025, Yoshida Denzai has begun releasing bottlings of its 1 Year Old single grain, with various batches featuring different grain mashbills and column configurations.

Kanpai!

@111hotpot