Shirakawa Distillery is a step-sibling of the legendary Karuizawa Distillery. Its single malt is the earliest vintage of Japanese single malt that will ever be bottled in history.

Here’s a whisky I am tasting with trepidation. 30ml of this stuff comes at several months’ worth of brunch dates. Or the latest overpriced Apple gizmo. Price aside, this is also arguably the rarest Japanese single malt whisky ever bottled.

Even if you’re a self-proclaimed Japanese whisky fanatic, you’ll be forgiven for not having heard of the name “Shirakawa” until now. The TL;DR is that Shirakawa Distillery is a recently-uncovered step-sibling to the legendary Karuizawa Distillery, famed for their highly sought-after single malts that have a complex sherried profile, and status as a malt from a ghost distillery that no longer exists.

What makes the Shirakawa even rarer is that according to experts like Stefan van Eycken, this is the earliest vintage of Japanese single malt ever bottled. The earliest Karuizawa ever bottled is from 1960, but this is predated by this bottle of Shirakawa 1958.

Shirakawa Distillery was built in Fukushima in 1939 by Daikoku Budoshu, a large wine and spirits producer.

How is it connected to Karuizawa? Both Shirakawa Distillery and Karuizawa Distillery were built by Daikoku Budoshu. You see, when Shirakawa was first built, Daikoku Budoshu was a subsidiary of the even larger Takara Shuzo Co. Unfortunately for Takara Shuzo, new competition laws in Japan forced it to divest its ownership of Daikoku Budoshu in 1947.

Takara Shuzo sought to keep Shirakawa within the family and acquired it from Daikoku Budoshu. To make up for its loss of Shirakawa, Daikoku Budoshu then went on to build a brand-new Karuizawa Distillery in 1956. The rest is known history.

Single malts were not popular back in the day, and Shirakawa did not produce any then. As was the case in Scotland, blended whiskies were more popular. The vast majority of Shirakawa’s malt was blended into the “King Whisky” brand. (Karuizawa Distillery, if you’re curious, focused on its “Ocean” blend.) The first Japanese single malt was only released in 1975 and it was a decade before the category took off. By that time, Takara Shuzo had already forgotten acquired Tomatin Distillery from Scotland and did not need to rely on Shirakawa for malt whisky.

Due to lack of use, Shirakawa Distillery was eventually demolished in 2003, and in 2011, the land which it stands on was donated to the Fukushima prefecture to build emergency housing to accommodate people displaced by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

The Shirakawa 1958 is a batch of whisky uncovered in 2019 by Tomatin Distillery’s Managing Director and the staff of Takara Shuzo. While it’s known that it was distilled in 1958, it is unclear how long this whisky had been aged in oak for. The whisky was discovered sitting in a neutral vessel - a stainless steel tank in one of Takara Shuzo’s warehouses, long forgotten by the people who last handled the whisky sometime in the 1980s or 90s.

So how was the Shirakawa 1958 made? Based on lab analysis and archives, the whisky is well into the decades old and has been significantly matured in Japanese Mizunara oak casks. The distillery also used 100% Japanese barley, had a relatively long fermentation process of 4 days, and distilled using pot stills heated with steam coils.

It is likely that this whisky was also 100% matured in Mizunara based on records. A production summary book from March 1990 shows that during the years that this whisky was distilled, the vast majority of casks used at Shirakawa were made domestically from Mizunara oak from the Tohoku and Hokkaido regions.

It bears mentioning that usable Mizunara wood is incredibly time and labour intensive to produce. Mizunara oak has to be harvested from trees that are at least 200 years old, and due to the wood structure, it is exceptionally difficult for coopers to fashion them into whisky barrels. Mizunara wood is also porous and has a higher water content, thus requiring at least three years of drying and seasoning before it can be used by a whisky cask cooper.

Yet when properly matured in Mizunara, Japanese whisky is said to exhibit distinctive notes of honey, sandalwood, coconut and Japanese kara incense, making such whiskies highly desirable to connoisseurs and collectors.

This whisky hasn’t been tasted by many people, but the experts who have tasted it – the likes of Stefan van Eycken and Dave Broom, have found it “exotic” and “vibrant”. Thanks to Preetpal Kaur from Quaich Bar, you and I too, will soon know how this tastes.

This whisky is bottled at 49% ABV.

Shirakawa 1958, Japanese Single Malt, 49% ABV – Review

Appearance: Orange liqueur.

Nose: The nose presents a harmonious blend of floral and aromas of honey and pineapples, accompanied by a subtle earthiness and gentle incense. As it opens up, a refreshing mintiness emerges alongside grassy and light pinecone notes, this herb-laced mintiness evoking memories of Snake Brand Prickly Heat Powder and Mopiko ointment (menthol and camphor). The delicate temple incense aroma and cedarwood adding depth and allure to the overall bouquet.

Palate: Creamy, citrusy, and an oaky and yet mellow profile, with an unusual density of flavours. The texture is waxy and velvety, setting it apart from contemporary Japanese single malts. Initially, a light resinous sensation (reminiscent of older Chichibu) unfolds, followed by vanilla, oak, and a touch of sandalwood incense smoke. This gradually transitions into prominent smoked lemon citrus notes, accompanied by sweeter notes of mandarin orange peels, marzipan, a subtle caramel sweetness. The experience culminates in a heavier heather smoke, evoking memories of drinking vintage Highland Park, before moving towards an emergent cooling spiciness of cloves.

Finish: The finish is pleasantly mellow, with lingering notes of honeycomb, toasted almonds, and a persistent cooling mintiness. Right at the back of the finish, a retro-nasal olfaction of the unmistakeable fragrance of pandan-wrapped coconut nasi lemak or freshly baked Chinese coconut buns.

My Thoughts:

This is a highly, highly engaging whisky, and a privilege of a lifetime for a whisky aficionado to taste. This is very dense, flavourful and highly textural. I constantly encounter interesting and distinctive notes I haven’t quite experienced in any single malts, let alone Japanese.

Oak and citrus play substantial roles here. Oak being a testament to this being very well-aged. And yet this has a smooth and accessible feel, none of that bite you might get from American white oak. How can I explain this? Mizunara is known for its low tannins, and it seems to translate to minimal tannins in this whisky. It is lightly resinous but with an unmistakable touch of the fragrance of cedarwood and toasted coconut flakes.

Much about Shirakawa Distillery and this liquid will never be known to us – who distilled it, what was the original plan for it, and how it lay forgotten for over 60 years. But all of us who have tasted it in the room are in agreement. In every likelihood, someone must have tasted this whisky sometime between 1980 and the late 1990s and felt it was perfectly matured by that time. This must be why they moved the whisky to a neutral vessel to halt further evolution.

Now, if only I could do another round to really nail down this profile.

@CharsiuCharlie