De naam Ichiro's Malt komt van Ichiro Akuto, de kleinzoon van de stichter van de Hanyu distilleerderij. Na dat de distilleerderij werd ontmanteld in 2004, redde hij ongeveer 400 vaten. In 2008 opende hij een nieuwe distilleerderij genaamd Chichibu, en deze Double Distilleries is een blend van zowel: sherry gerijpte Hanyu whisky en Chichibu new-make whisky uit een Japanse eikenhouten vat.

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.