Japanese Whisky Page by Takeshi Mogi

Mercian: http://www.mercian.co.jp/
English: http://www.mercian.co.jp/e/index.html?main.html
Products (Whisky): http://www.mercian.co.jp/indexed.html?products/whisky/index.html

Mercian was once called as Daikoku Budoushu and originally a wine maker. The company is still famouse rather as a wine maker than a distiller. It is known that Mercian had at least three distilleries. One was in Yamanashi area and another was Shirakawa now owned by Takara Shuzou.

The company is owned by Kirin since 2006.

Karuizawa

Address: Maseguchi 1795-2, Oaza, Miyotamachi, Kitasakugun, Nagano 389-0207
TEL: 0267-32-2006
Water: Spring water from Mt.Asama
Visitor is welcome
Tour: Available
Contact: JR Nagano=>Shinano Line Miyota, Shinano Line Miyota=> Karuizawa Distillery (7 minutes on foot)

Karuizawa Distillery: http://www.mercian.co.jp/karuizawa/distillery/index.html
Map: http://www.mercian.co.jp/karuizawa/distillery/facilities.html

Karuizawa distillery was built in 1962 by a wine maker Daikoku Budoushu (now Mercian Co.) in the west side of Karuizawa that is famouse as the best summer resort and the good water is wellknown. The distillery stands in the countryside on the foot of Mt. Asama that is a dormant volcano. The warehouse was coverd with ivy that helps cooling the inside. This small distillery has pine wood washbacks and four stilles. Once the whisky was matured only in Sherry casks but now various types of casks are used for maturing.

Karuizawa bottlings were once all vatted malts containing 90% Karuizawa malt and 10% another malt from a distillery owned once by Mercian in Yamanashi. But some of them are now single malts. The distillery often bottles limited single malts at cask strength every year and some of them are wonderful. Mercian renewed the visitor centre and built a museum and an Italian restaurant in the site at the middle of 90's. A lot of people visit the museum every year but I recommend you to ignore the museum and visit just the distillery, the visitor centre and the shop.

Single Malt Whisky: Karuizawa 12yo,　Karuizawa 15yo, Karuizawa 17yo, Karuizawa Vintage a range from 1975-1994

Pages prepared and maintained by Takeshi Mogi