"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."

There's an undeniable excitement pulsing through the whisky industry in Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. From the established distilleries that have etched the region's name on the global whisky map, to the new players who are joining the scene, more and more distillers are getting interested in moving to Hokkaido.

Of course, the roots of Hokkaido's whisky narrative traces back to the 1930s, when Masataka Taketsuru, one of the fathers of Japanese whisky, established Nikka Yoichi Distillery. Taketsuru's choice of Hokkaido was obvious – he is a purist and Hokkaido's climate most resembled that of Scotland, the birthplace of whisky. In Taketsuru's mind, this made Hokkaido the perfect place for whisky maturation.

| Read how Taketsuru started the Hokkaido Yoichi Distillery and became a forefather of Japanese whisky.

But after Yoichi's establishment, the next nine decades quietly passed. Curiously few other whisky distilleries ventured into Hokkaido. It was only in more recent years that Hokkaido's whisky industry extended beyond Yoichi's mostly one-man show. Akkeshi Distillery was set up in 2016 in the midst of Hokkaido's peatlands, the distiller being deeply inspired by Islay-style whisky production. Benizakura Distillery also recently staked their claim to the Hokkaido whisky legacy. The craft distillery in Sapporo began its whisky production journey in 2020, and looks to produce American bourbon-style whisky using a mashbill of Hokkaido corn.

And just when you thought you'd gotten a handle on Hokkaido's whisky landscape, something new is brewing. Enter Venture Whisky, the parent company of Ichiro's Malt & Chichibu Distillery. Having spearheaded a craft-whisky boom in Japan since its founding in 2004, Venture Whisky's next move is about to further shake up the scene. it is investing tens of millions of dollars setting up an ambitious grain whisky distillery in Tomakomai, Hokkaido.

The Rise of Ichiro's Malt

Ichiro's Malt & Grain and its visionary namesake Ichiro Akuto-san require little introduction. The man is responsible for the birth of Ichiro's Malt, the flagship brand of Venture Whisky, and the creation of Chichibu Distillery.

Chichibu's single malt production is small – it has a yearly production capacity of only about 312,000 liters across two distilleries – but its influence on the whisky world is anything but. Its bottlings now have a cult following and any expression is deemed to be highly coveted.

The flagship Ichiro's Malt & Grain also recently already garnered considerable acclaim, not just from whisky enthusiasts, but also from certified experts. This year, it won the World's Best Blended Limited-Release Whisky accolade at the World Whiskies Awards 2023. 

Yet, up till now, Venture Whisky could only produce "Japanese Blended" whisky in very limited quantities as it did not run any grain whisky operations. Scotch grain whisky could be imported, but the resulting blended whisky would have to be labeled as "World Blends" under the new standards for Japanese whisky set by the Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association (JSLMA)

Having its own grain distillery in Japan is a strategic step for Venture Whisky, particularly in light of the JSLMA standards – both the malt and grain whisky components need to be of Japanese origin.

But why Hokkaido?  

There's no denying the sheer ambition driving this endeavour. Set to cover a sprawling 6.6 hectares, the new distillery has an annual production goal of a whopping 2.4 million liters. To put that in perspective, that's about eight times the capacity of existing operations in Chichibu. Land in Hokkaido is also significantly cheaper.

The distillery’s choice of location in Tomakomai city was intentional. Tomakomai is a port city, with direct access to local port to facilitate the importing of raw materials, such as North American corn that would be used. Then there's the draw of Hokkaido's climate and water quality - two elements any whisky aficionado knows are crucial in shaping the flavour profile of a whisky. Ichiro-san also plans to install a Coffey still in the distillery – the classic continuous still used by Masataka Taketsuru when he first distilled grain whisky in Japan.

Moreover, being in Hokkaido gives the distillery easy access to natural resources like the aromatic Mizunara oak that natively grows here. There will also be access to Hokkaido's corn – Hokkaido after all produces most of Japan's corn. While the distillery will first import American corn,  it has hinted at potentially utilising Hokkaido-grown corn to produce 100% Japanese grain whisky.

By significantly increasing their grain whisky production, they are ensuring that the Ichiro's Malt & Grain whiskies will be more accessible to Ichiro-san's fans worldwide. It is also very likely that the distillery would be producing single grain whiskies, an interesting opportunity to appreciate the singular terroir of Hokkaido grain whisky.

A New Era for Hokkaido Whisky

The arrival of Venture Whisky and new grain distillery signals a momentous new chapter for Hokkaido's modern whisky history. 

Yasuhiro Tsuji, a local land developer, perhaps put it best: "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." Indeed, the arrival of Ichiro-san and Venture Whisky would further spotlight Hokkaido as a key region – continuing the legacy and philosophy of Nikka's Taketsuru in creating Hokkaido-made whisky.

Many more players would likely join in the Hokkaido whisky boom to explore the rich resources offered by this elemental island. And who knows? Perhaps in the decades to come, Hokkaido might just become a whisky destination that rivals the Scottish Speyside.

Here's to the exciting future of Ichiro's Malt and Hokkaido whisky. Kanpai!

@CharsiuCharlie