Karuizawa Whisky | Closed Japanese Distillery | dekanta

Karuizawa Distillery

Karuizawa was a small distillery that produced first-class malt whiskeys.

There is no shortage of thawing snow at Mount Asama and the chilly climate provided an excellent location for whiskey making. In 1976 the first 100 percent domestic malt whiskey saw the light of day at Karuizawa. The whiskey was stored in small barrels, and the distillery used small pots for distillation. The storehouse of Karuizawa was also covered in ivy, which is said to assist in keeping the temperature and humidity at exactly the right levels for producing good whisky. Though small, this distillery was known for producing whiskey of the finest quality.

Karuizawa whiskeys are noted for their floral scent and maturity, making them highly sought-after products. In former times the company produced pharmaceuticals and chemicals as well as alcoholic beverages before focusing solely on alcoholic beverages.

History Of Karuizawa Distillery

Suzuki Chuji, the second son of the founder of the Ajinomoto brand, started brewing sake from soya beans and founded the Showa Brewing Corp. in 1934.

Karuizawa-map

After establishing a factory in Kawasaki, the company began producing Miraku refined sake, and in 1949, the name of the company was changed to Miraku Breweries Corp. In 1955, Karuizawa distillery was built near Mount Asama, and whisky production began.

In 1961 the company acquired wine maker Nisshin Breweries based in the city of Koshu. The Nisshin owned the Mercian brand, and under this name the company added wine its production. In the following year it acquired the Ocean brand (owned by Daikoku Wineries). Following the example of Suntory, the company became a large producer of Western style alcoholic beverages under the Ocean name.

In 1970 the company marketed Chateau Mercian wine, and then during the 1980s highball boom, the company started making sour drinks and cocktails of all sorts, such as the famous peachtree fizz that’s still popular today. In 1990 the company acquired its present name of Mercian.

For a long time, the Suzuki family owned the largest shares in Ajinomoto; however, in 1997 following a power struggle, the company president published a damning account of family’s behavior. The company was then reworked and improved before being acquired as a subsidiary of Kirin Holdings in the mid-2000s. Today, Mercian forms the nucleus of the Kirin group’s wine industry. Although the main shareholder has changed, the company itself remains largely unchanged from its Ajinomoto origins.

But Kirin could not sustain the premium whisky production, so the Karuizawa distillery and its sister distillery at Kawasaki closed in 2011. When Karuizawa was completely shuttered in 2012, the pot still and other equipment were removed, and what could be sold was sold off. As Karuizawa is now a rare, world-famous whisky, its price has almost doubled in recent times. Currently it’s not easy to get one’s hands on a bottle.

How To Find Karuizawa Distillery

Unfortunately it is no longer possible to visit Karuizawa distillery as it was closed and the land on which it stood sold in 2012.

Showing 37–72 of 141 results

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Karuizawa 1974 40 Year Old #4560 & 3626 / Blue and Gold Geisha

Rated 0 out of 5

$89,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 83,920.18
GBP: £ 73,699.00
JPY: ¥ 11,680,799
SGD: $120,056.71
AUD: $135,484.72

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Karuizawa Vintage 40 Year Old Cask #6114

Rated 0 out of 5

$61,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 57,811.68
GBP: £ 50,770.42
JPY: ¥ 8,046,772
SGD: $82,705.73
AUD: $93,333.91

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Karuizawa Ocean White Ship Whisky

Rated 0 out of 5

$329.99 (USD)

EUR: € 307.70
GBP: £ 270.22
JPY: ¥ 42,828
SGD: $440.19
AUD: $496.76

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Karuizawa Honor Sumo Triple Set (1981/1982/1983) (Price Upon Request)

Rated 0 out of 5

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Karuizawa 1963 50 Year Old (Price Upon Request)

Rated 0 out of 5

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Karuizawa 1972 40 Year Old Gold Dragon Label (Price Upon Request)

Rated 0 out of 5

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Karuizawa Thousand Arrows (Karuizawa Thousand Arrows) (Price Upon Request)

Rated 0 out of 5

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Karuizawa Fight Club Collection 1986/1987/1988

Rated 0 out of 5

$149,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 139,866.97
GBP: £ 122,831.67
JPY: ¥ 19,467,999
SGD: $200,094.52
AUD: $225,807.88

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Karuizawa Five Decades 1960 – 2000

Rated 0 out of 5

$36,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 34,500.51
GBP: £ 30,298.47
JPY: ¥ 4,802,105
SGD: $49,356.64
AUD: $55,699.27

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Karuizawa 1967 Vintage 45 Year Old #2725 (Price Upon Request)

Rated 0 out of 5

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Karuizawa Koi 1982 Cask #8497

Rated 0 out of 5

$25,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 24,243.60
GBP: £ 21,290.82
JPY: ¥ 3,374,452
SGD: $34,683.04
AUD: $39,140.02

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Karuizawa 1981 Cocktail Series

Rated 0 out of 5

$24,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 23,311.15
GBP: £ 20,471.94
JPY: ¥ 3,244,665
SGD: $33,349.08
AUD: $37,634.63

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Karuizawa 1999/2000 Asama

Rated 0 out of 5

$4,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 4,662.22
GBP: £ 4,094.38
JPY: ¥ 648,932
SGD: $6,669.80
AUD: $7,526.91

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Karuizawa 1982 29 Year Old Noh Single Cask# 8529

Rated 0 out of 5

$27,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 26,108.49
GBP: £ 22,928.57
JPY: ¥ 3,634,025
SGD: $37,350.97
AUD: $42,150.79

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Karuizawa 35 Year Old “Kumoi” 1981 Cask #6478

Rated 0 out of 5

$49,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 46,622.32
GBP: £ 40,943.89
JPY: ¥ 6,489,332
SGD: $66,698.17
AUD: $75,269.28

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Karuizawa Vintage 1988 21 Years Old

Rated 0 out of 5

$10,599.99 (USD)

EUR: € 9,883.92
GBP: £ 8,680.10
JPY: ¥ 1,375,737
SGD: $14,140.00
AUD: $15,957.08

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Hashin Tigers 50th Anniversary Ceramic Bottle

Rated 0 out of 5

$799.99 (USD)

EUR: € 745.95
GBP: £ 655.09
JPY: ¥ 103,828
SGD: $1,067.16
AUD: $1,204.29

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Karuizawa 15 Year Old 100% Malt Whisky (No Box)

Rated 0 out of 5

$2,199.99 (USD)

EUR: € 2,051.37
GBP: £ 1,801.52
JPY: ¥ 285,529
SGD: $2,934.71
AUD: $3,311.83

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Karuizawa 36 Views of Tokaido Kanaya No Fuji 1999-2000

Rated 0 out of 5

$11,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 11,189.35
GBP: £ 9,826.53
JPY: ¥ 1,557,439
SGD: $16,007.55
AUD: $18,064.62

in stock

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Karuizawa the Masterpieces in Eight Colours: Batch 2 – 4 bottles Set (Price Upon Request)

Rated 0 out of 5

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Karuizawa 50 Years Old 1965 Japonism Edition (Price Upon Request)

Rated 0 out of 5

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Karuizawa 2000-2018 Sherry Cask #7608

Rated 0 out of 5

$9,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 9,324.46
GBP: £ 8,188.77
JPY: ¥ 1,297,865
SGD: $13,339.62
AUD: $15,053.84

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Karuizawa Cask Strength “36 Views of Tomitake, Fujimihara, Oshu” 1999-2000

Rated 0 out of 5

$11,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 11,189.35
GBP: £ 9,826.53
JPY: ¥ 1,557,439
SGD: $16,007.55
AUD: $18,064.62

in stock

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Karuizawa 1981 Single Cask 35 Year Old #7413

Rated 0 out of 5

$59,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 55,946.78
GBP: £ 49,132.66
JPY: ¥ 7,787,199
SGD: $80,037.80
AUD: $90,323.14

in stock

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Karuizawa Cask Strength “36 Views of Tomitake, Totomi Yamanaka” 1999-2000

Rated 0 out of 5

$11,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 11,189.35
GBP: £ 9,826.53
JPY: ¥ 1,557,439
SGD: $16,007.55
AUD: $18,064.62

in stock

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Karuizawa Cask Strength “36 Views of Tomitake Soshu Umezawa Left” 1999-2000

Rated 0 out of 5

$11,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 11,189.35
GBP: £ 9,826.53
JPY: ¥ 1,557,439
SGD: $16,007.55
AUD: $18,064.62

in stock

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Karuizawa Cask Strength “36 Views of Tokaido Hodogaya” 1999-2000

Rated 0 out of 5

$11,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 11,189.35
GBP: £ 9,826.53
JPY: ¥ 1,557,439
SGD: $16,007.55
AUD: $18,064.62

in stock

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Karuizawa Cask Strength “36 Views of Tomitake, Riverbank, Yuhimi Ryogokubashi” 1999-2000

Rated 0 out of 5

$11,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 11,189.35
GBP: £ 9,826.53
JPY: ¥ 1,557,439
SGD: $16,007.55
AUD: $18,064.62

in stock

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Karuizawa Cask Strength “36 Views of Tomitake Sumida River Sekiya no Sato” 1999-2000

Rated 0 out of 5

$11,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 11,189.35
GBP: £ 9,826.53
JPY: ¥ 1,557,439
SGD: $16,007.55
AUD: $18,064.62

in stock

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Karuizawa Cask Strength “36 Views of Tomitake Shunshu Ejiri” 1999-2000

Rated 0 out of 5

$11,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 11,189.35
GBP: £ 9,826.53
JPY: ¥ 1,557,439
SGD: $16,007.55
AUD: $18,064.62

in stock

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Karuizawa 1995 Single Cask 16 Year Old #5006

Rated 0 out of 5

$25,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 24,243.60
GBP: £ 21,290.82
JPY: ¥ 3,374,452
SGD: $34,683.04
AUD: $39,140.02

in stock

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Karuizawa Cask Strength “36 Views of Mount Fuji Across Lake Suwa” 1999-2000

Rated 0 out of 5

$11,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 11,189.35
GBP: £ 9,826.53
JPY: ¥ 1,557,439
SGD: $16,007.55
AUD: $18,064.62

in stock

Lazy

Karuizawa Cask Strength “36 Views of Asakusa Hongan-Ji Temple” 1999-2000

Rated 0 out of 5

$11,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 11,189.35
GBP: £ 9,826.53
JPY: ¥ 1,557,439
SGD: $16,007.55
AUD: $18,064.62

in stock

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Karuizawa Cask Strength “36 Views of Minobu-gawa ura Fuji” 1999-2000

Rated 0 out of 5

$11,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 11,189.35
GBP: £ 9,826.53
JPY: ¥ 1,557,439
SGD: $16,007.55
AUD: $18,064.62

in stock

Lazy

Karuizawa Cask Strength “36 Views of Kajikazawa in Kai Province” 1999-2000

Rated 0 out of 5

$11,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 11,189.35
GBP: £ 9,826.53
JPY: ¥ 1,557,439
SGD: $16,007.55
AUD: $18,064.62

in stock

Lazy

Karuizawa 1981 Single Cask 35 Year Old #8287

Rated 0 out of 5

$79,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 74,595.71
GBP: £ 65,510.22
JPY: ¥ 10,382,932
SGD: $106,717.07
AUD: $120,430.86

in stock