Hanyu Distillery
Opgericht: 1941
Gebied: Japan
Adres: Nishi 4-1-11, Hanyushi, Saitamaken
Eigenaar: Venture Whisky Ltd.
Status: gesloten in 2004
Website: http://www.toashuzo.com/whisky.htm
Hanyu Distillery was located in a town bearing its name on the banks of
the Tone river. The original company was founded from a family business
originally established in 1626 by the Akuto family, sake-makers in the
town of Chichibu. Isouji Akuto, the 19th generation of the Akuto family,
built a factory in Hanyu city, north-west of Tokyo, in 1941 to produce
alcohol and obtained a licence to do so in 1946.
In 1980, serious attempts to produce a Scotch whisky-type product began
and two pot stills were obtained. At the time, consumer demand was for
blended whisky rather than single malt. Since then there has been a
worldwide shift towards single malts and in 1990 Chichibu whisky was
launched, named after the place where the sake was originally produced.
It had two steam-heated stills and a continuous still, along with a Sake
brewery.
Unfortunately it stopped making whisky in 2000, with the pot stills and
distilling equipment dismantled in 2004. The grandson of the founder,
Ichiro, purchased the mature stock and distilling facilities and hopes
one day to start a new distillery.
