This time, I went to visit Venture Whiskey Chichibu Distillery in Chichibu City, Saitama Prefecture, and I would like to introduce it to you.
Venture Whiskey Chichibu Distillery
Speaking of the pioneer of Japanese craft whisky, I think it's Venture Whiskey Chichibu Distillery.
The Chichibu Distillery began operations in 2008, and since then many other distilleries have started operations or restarted operations, making us truly a pioneer.
Ichiro's malt made at Chichibu Distillery is so popular in Japan that it is even harder to obtain than Suntory's Yamazaki/Hakushu.
The distillery has also received worldwide recognition and is very popular overseas.
Once you've started liking whisky, you'll probably want to go on a tour of a distillery.
The closest distillery to Tokyo is Chichibu Distillery of Venture Whiskey, located in Chichibu City, Saitama Prefecture. .
Unfortunately, we do not offer tours for the general public. .
How to visit Chichibu Distillery
However, this does not mean that the general public cannot visit at all.
As far as I know, there are three ways that the general public can take a tour.
- Participate in a tour sponsored by a bar or liquor store
- Participate in the Chichibu Whiskey Festival Open Day
- Participate in other events
Method 1: Participate in a tour sponsored by a bar or liquor store
We do not offer tours to the general public, but we do offer tours to professionals (bars, liquor stores, etc.).
Even though it's called a bar or a liquor store, there are only a few employees working there, so I think most people invite regulars of the bar and charter a bus or taxi for about 10 to 15 people to take a tour.
This time I was able to see it using this method.
I think this is the most likely way for ordinary people to participate.
The hurdle is that you need to become a regular at bars and liquor stores, so I think it's necessary to go to bars and liquor stores to some extent.
Looking on social media, it seems that there are some stores where you can apply even if you are not a regular (mainly by lottery), so if you check the store's social media, you might find something good.
Participate in the Chichibu Whiskey Festival Open Day
The Chichibu Distillery Open Day is held during the Chichibu Whiskey Festival held every February.
At this time, the general public can also tour the Chichibu Distillery.
However, not everyone can visit, and you will need a ticket for both the Chichibu Whiskey Festival and the open day.
Tickets for the Chichibu Whiskey Festival sold out online within 1-2 minutes after going on sale.
Tickets for the open day are limited to around 20 people per division, so they sell out quickly, and you have to win two early bird competitions, making both tickets very difficult to obtain.
『Chichibu Whiskey Festival 2024”, although I was able to obtain tickets for the event itself, I was unable to participate because I lost the early bird ticket competition for the open day. .
Also, when I spoke to one of the participants, I was told that although tastings are available at the distillery, there will be no product sales during the open day.
Participate in other events
Although held irregularly, there are also events where you can tour the Chichibu Distillery.
However, since it is held irregularly and there is not much information available, I think it is unrealistic to have high expectations.
Chichibu Distillery
Now, I would like to introduce you to what I saw during my visit.
Before the tour started, there was a brief explanation about Venture Whiskey and Chichibu Distillery.
Venture Whiskey was established in 2004 and will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year in 2024.
When the company was first established, it sold unblended sake from the Hanyu Distillery, but in 2008, it launched the Chichibu Distillery and began producing whiskey.
In other words, as of 2024, there is unprocessed sake that has been aged for up to 16 years.
The annual production volume is 50,000 liters (Daiichi Distillery only), which is only the amount that large Scottish distilleries such as Macallan can produce in two days.
We aim for traditional Scottish production methods, including floor malting, open fire distillation and wooden vat fermenters.
They also interact with and contribute to the local community by manufacturing their products using local barley from Saitama.
Start of tour
The visit took place as follows.
- Daiichi Distillery
- First storage
- Seventh storage
- Second distillery
- cooperage
- tasting
Daiichi Distillery
First of all, we will tour from the first distillery.
When I entered, I could smell fermentation.
It was hot overall, probably because the pot stills were running.
There is no air conditioning, and the temperature inside the room can exceed 40℃ in midsummer.
crushing
First, you will be shown to the mill room.
It is said that 400 kg is used in one batch.
They say they use 70% domestically produced barley, but the remaining 30% is mostly barley produced overseas by Crisp.
Others may use barley from Germany, Australia, or New Zealand.
He said that he goes to Crisp every year if he can, but if he can't, he sends me a sample to check.
This is a 100-year-old variety called Chevalier, and this is the first time it has been brewed in its 16th year of production.
The ratio of husk, grits, and flour is 2:7:1, which is the same ratio for Chichibu Distillery rather than changing depending on the variety of barley.
Also, this ratio is not unique to Chichibu Distillery, but rather a textbook ratio used by many distilleries.
I was given a sample of barley.
First, I got the non-peated one.
When I ate it, I got the impression that the skin was noticeable, and although it had a wheat taste of course, it gave me the impression of a rice cracker.
Next is peated barley.
There is almost no difference in appearance.
The phenol level is 50ppm, so it is classified as heavily peated.
The smoky skin is added to the non-peated malt mentioned earlier.
There is some smokiness, but I felt it was not a strong smokiness.
Saccharification
Next is the saccharification process.
This process involves adding hot water to crushed malt to collect the sugar-containing wort.
When I visited, it was in a draft state after the wort had been collected.
It seems that the sugar content of the wort will be around 15 degrees.
The hot water is poured in three times, the first time at 64 degrees Celsius, the second time at 76 degrees Celsius, and the third time at 96 degrees Celsius.
Apparently, the reason for changing the temperature is to create a layer of hot water.
When the temperature is high, the hot water goes to the top, and when the temperature is low, it goes to the bottom.
This property is used to push out the sugar by applying pressure to the layer below.
fermentation
Next is the fermentation process.
Yeast is added to the wort to produce alcohol.
The fermentation process takes a total of 5 days, with 2 days of yeast fermentation, and at this stage the alcohol content is about 7%.
For the next three days, fermentation takes place using lactic acid bacteria, and this is when the flavor and flavor are created.
The fermentation tank is made by Mizunara and was replaced last summer of 2023 due to aging.
Last year marked the 15th anniversary of the start of production, and the company plans to continue replacing them every 15 years.
Although lactic acid bacteria can be found in the air, they tend to adhere to trees.
I'm concerned that if I replace it, the lactic acid bacteria will disappear and the taste will deteriorate. That's what it means.
It seems that the taste was weak for 2 to 3 weeks after the exchange, but after that it seems to be the same as before the exchange.
When cleaning, boiling water or chemicals will kill the lactic acid bacteria, so they basically use a high-pressure washer for cleaning.
I was given a peek into the fermenter at the end of the second day of fermentation with yeast.
There is definitely an alcohol scent, but I didn't find it to be that strong.
distillation
The long-awaited distillation process.
The one on the left is a pot still for first brewing, which is 700L in size.
After the initial brewing, the alcohol content will be approximately 23%.
The one on the right is a 200L pot still for re-saturation.
They say they can produce about 300 barrels a year.
The middle cut is done based on the time, and the blender ultimately makes the decision based on the aroma.
I was able to smell the scent, but the head certainly had a rough impression.
The heart smelled like a new pot, like something you'd drink at a whiskey event.
The tail seemed a little heavy.
First aging warehouse
Next is a tour of the first aging warehouse.
It is located on the same site as the Daiichi Distillery.
When I entered, I felt the sweet vanilla scent of bourbon and the earthy scent of beetles.
Storage capacity is 900 barrels, dunnage type.
The roads for people and machines are paved with concrete, but the area where the barrels are stored is dirt.
There is no air conditioning, and the temperature drops to 35℃ in summer and -10℃ in winter.
Angels' share was said to be about 5%.
A simple calculation says that if you let it sit for 10 years, it will be halved, and if you skimp on Angel's share, it won't taste as good, so it can't be helped. . He said.
One of its distinctive features is Chibi Daru (quarter cask, 120L).
The butt of a bourbon barrel (500L) was cut and the top plate was changed.
It was said that the barrel was easily affected by the small mirror plate.
Speaking of Chichibu Distillery, it is Quercus Quercus, and I heard that Quercus Quercus is purchased at Asahikawa's Meiki Market (log sales event).
However, every year, the quantity of Quercus oaks is decreasing and they are becoming thinner, but the price is increasing.
Seventh storage
Next is a tour of the seventh storage room.
It was located on a different site from the Daiichi Distillery and Daiichi Aging Warehouse, so transportation by car was required.
Even though I call it a tour, it's just a little peek.
There are 1 to 7 storage units, the 1st to 6th are dunnage type, and the 7th is a conceptual rack type.
There are two 18 barrels x 7 tiers x 33 rows, and there is another one with about 1/3 of that capacity, so it can store a total of 18,000 barrels.
It is said that it is 90% full, and they will need another storage soon.
Perhaps due to the difference in the amount of barrels stored, when the shutter was raised, the aroma was stronger than at the Daiichi Distillery.
By the way, Venture Whiskey plans to start operating a grain whiskey distillery in Tomakomai, Hokkaido from the spring of 2025.
There are currently no plans to mature the whiskey produced in Chichibu in Hokkaido, but there is a possibility that the whiskey will be brought to Hokkaido.
Second distillery
Next is a tour of the second distillery.
It is located on the same site as the 7th Distillery and can be reached on foot.
The first distillery had the impression of being a small craft distillery, but the second distillery had the impression of being a large-scale distillery.
Preparation
It is said that 2 tons of barley will be harvested at one time.
The white machine is a distoner, which removes dirt from the barley.
At the first distillery, it is done by hand, but at the second distillery, since the volume is large, impurities are removed using machines.
The red machine is a malt mill, which grinds malt.
fermentation
The first distillery was made from Quercus oak, but the second distillery uses French oak.
On the fourth day of fermentation, I was able to smell the fermenter that will be distilled tomorrow.
It was in the lactic acid fermentation stage, so it had a very sour smell.
It is said that it is better if it has a certain degree of sourness.
distillation
The shape of the pot still is the same as the first distillery, but it is five times the size.
Another difference is that the first distillery uses indirect steam heating, while the second distillery uses direct heat.
It has a head, heart, and tail scent, but the scent at the border between the head and heart felt exactly the same.
I realized how amazing a professional blender can be when it comes to solving this problem.
cooperage
Next is a tour of Cooperage.
A Cooperage is a barrel factory that handles everything from barrel production to maintenance.
From Distillery No. 2 and Storage Room No. 7, another trip by car was required.
The wood is cut into pieces, cut into squares, and left to dry in that state for about three years.
It seems that the parts that are too twisted and scraps are sold as firewood to restaurants in Chichibu.
It is said that 30 to 40% of the wood can be obtained from one log, and it is said that one barrel cannot be made from one log.
I was told that they use a straight-grain method of cutting, rather than a board-grain method of cutting that is used for furniture, and that the amount that can be removed is less.
Apparently they make about 180 barrels a year.
When filling whiskey into barrels, the alcohol content is 63.5%.
This alcohol content was chosen to balance the components that are easily soluble in alcohol and those that are easily soluble in water.
By the way, when aged, the alcohol evaporates and the alcohol content generally decreases, but in a dry environment, the water evaporates and the alcohol content can actually increase.
In the case of white oak, there is a lot of tylose, which seems to prevent leakage on its own, but Quercus oak has very little tylose and cannot prevent leaks on its own.
tasting
After touring Cooperage, we drove to the visitor center and had a tasting.
Constituent unblended sake
This is a bottle of unprocessed sake released in 2024 that uses malt that has been floor malted.
I hadn't tried it yet, but it had a tropical element and was delicious.
Ichiro’s Malt&Grain 20th Anniversary Edition
As mentioned above, Venture Whiskey was founded in 2004 and will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year in 2024.
This is a world blended whiskey released to commemorate its 20th anniversary.
I felt a little peaty and malty impression.
When I drank it carefully, I could feel the fruity and complex flavor, and I could really feel the charm of blended whisky.
I heard that they also use grain from the closed distilleries Hanyu Distillery and Kawasaki Distillery, as well as unblended sake from Karuizawa Distillery.
I wonder how many years these unblended sake will last. .
Constituent unblended sake
We were able to enjoy three types of unblended sake: Fino, PX, and Oloroso, all made in sherry casks.
Among these, Oloroso was good because it had a moderate barrel feel and retained the fruitiness of the original sake.
shop
There is a shop inside the visitor center where you can purchase goods.
There were standard items such as glasses, coasters, T-shirts, and hoodies, as well as items based on someone's hobby, such as golf balls and golf markers.
The famous lanterns were also on sale.
There was no sale of alcohol such as distillery limited bottles.
This time, I purchased glasses, tasting glasses, and coasters.
By the way, you can pay by credit card in addition to cash.
Impressions
It was a very satisfying visit.
Although the whiskey manufacturing process is basically the same, each craft distillery has its own characteristics and commitment, and each distillery is different, which makes it interesting.
I felt that the Chichibu Distillery's commitment to production, especially the Cooperage, had an appeal that was not found at other distilleries.
Compared to other craft distilleries, we have expanded in scale and scope, including operating our second distillery and a grain whiskey distillery in Tomakomai, so the future will be very interesting.
Chichibu is a popular whiskey and you can't buy it, but I would like to buy it when I can and drink it at whiskey events.
The Chichibu Distillery is not a place that I can go to every year, so I hope to be able to visit it next time in 3 to 5 years.
