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This is the second in the W series, consisting of the original spirit from the wood-fired direct distiller W, the successor to Shizuoka Distillery’s latest release, Prologue W, which was released in 2021. 100% foreign barley is used.

70% of the malt used was Scottish malt. Peated malt and is the first smoky type single malt for the Shizuoka distillery. The remaining 20% is made with non-pit malt from Scotland and 10% with malt for German beer (Pilsner), giving the beer a deeper and more expansive flavor.

We would like to compare it with Prologue W and Pot Still K, which is 100% Japanese barley. 

This release is limited to a domestic sales quantity of 5,000 bottles. The suggested retail price is 9,845 yen (including tax), which seems much lower than Pot Still K, perhaps due to the difference in the barley used as ingredients.

The Bottle

This single malt whiskey is made from 100% foreign barley malt. It was created from a concept that contrasts with “Shizuoka Pot Still K Pure Japanese Barley First Edition,” which is made with 100% Japanese barley malt.

Currently, most Japanese whiskey made in Japan is made from 100% foreign barley. The fact that the product name “pure foreign barley” is a first in Japan is unprecedented.

This is a new challenge for Shizuoka Distillery, which makes whiskey while increasing the percentage of barley produced in Japan. We always indicate the origin of the barley and value the advantages of each barley to deliver a whisky rich in terroir.
Although we use foreign ingredients, our “Japanese whiskey” meets the standards for Japanese whiskey set by the Japan Western Whiskey Brewers Association. (The standards do not stipulate anything about the origin of the ingredients.)

70% of the malt used was Scottish peated malt, making this the first smoky single malt from the Shizuoka distillery. Peated malt is a malt fumigated by burning Scottish peat, which produces a whisky with a strong character and a distinctive smoky flavor.
The remaining 20% of the ingredients are non-pitted malt from Scotland and 10% are malt for beer (Pilsner) from Germany to create additional depth and breadth of flavor.

Reference: GAIAFLOW BLOG

Our Take

The most distinctive feature of Pot Still W is that it uses 100% foreign barley malt as its ingredient malt. Up until now, whiskies released by Shizuoka Distillery have contained a high percentage of Japanese barley, and there has been a commitment to the terroir of Shizuoka Distillery.

This is the first time that Shizuoka Distillery has attempted to use no Japanese barley at all in their whiskey.

(All Images Courtesy of JPWhisky.net)

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