Hakushu 18 year old

The Hakushu distillery was built in 1973 and is located in the foothills of Mount Kaikomagatake in the Yamanashi Prefecture. The buildings are decidedly beautiful, with their picturesque double pagoda roof, set in the lush green of the Southern Japan alps. Hakushu East, was built in 1981, the original, Hakushu ‘West’ as it referred to, is now used for other purposes, its twenty-four stills now standing abstemiously. The three million litre capacity distillery, Hakushu East, produces a variety of whiskies using its twelve stills which are in a profusion of varying shapes and are all directly heated by coal fires. Some of the whisky produced at the Hakushu distillery undergo filtration through bamboo charcoal. The distillery draws its waters from the underground Kai-Komogatake. Today, there is a shop, a museum and a visitor centre.

Suntory’s other excellent malt distillery, which was established in 1973. All distilling now takes place however at Hakushu East, which was built in 1981 with the original building (Hakushu West) now being used for other purposes. Interestingly, the 24 stills at Hakushu West remain, poised perhaps for an even greater surge in demand for Japanese whisky.

With Hakushu 12 Year Old being discontinued in 2018, Hakushu 18 year old expression is becoming more and more sought after at auction.