Company history

• Founding year and origin: Venture Whisky was established in Saitama in 2008 (the company) and began production of whisky in the Chichibu region in 2019.
• Development over time: In 2018–2019 construction started for 秩父第2蒸溜所 near 秩父蒸溜所; the goal was to stabilize supply and take advantage of the benefits of small-batch production. In 2021 the sixth storage capacity (rack- and dunnage-storage) was built (7° cold-storage silos). In 2024 the first special release from 秩父ディスティラリー2nd appeared for 秩父ウイスキー祭2024, and in 2025 the launch of Ichiro’s Malt 秩父ディスティラリーⅡ is expected. The increased production and innovation are expected to create synergy between the first and second distilleries and maintain a focus on high-quality production.

Production details

• Location and ownership: 秩父第2蒸溜所 is located in the Madorigao Industrial Park, 秩父市 (Saitama), and is owned by Venture Whisky.
• Production capacity and volume: Annual production around 260,000 L of produced alcohol (LPA). Total capacity is supported by approximately 300 mash runs per year.
• Mash and malting: Mash tun at 2 tons per batch; semi-lautern tank; 1× roller mill (Alan Radock) and 1× distiller (Veualer).
• Fermentation and casking: 8× fermentation tanks of French oak (Taranso, France) at about 15,000 L each; fermentation about 100 hours.
• Distillation equipment: 1× wash still (10,000 L) and 1× spirit still (7,000 L); both straight-type or equivalent (Forsyth); gas-fired heating.
• Gas boiler and cooling: Gas boilers (gas-fired) and shell-and-tube cooling.
• Maturation and storage: Double-tier aging in Dundee/dunnage and rack storage; in total around 30,000 barrels spread across warehouses 1–7.
• Bottling/production techniques: No on-site bottling; floor malting is shared with 秩父蒸溜所.
• Unique details: The first distillery used Mizunara fermentation tanks; 秩父第2蒸溜所 uses French oak from Taranso for fermentation. They also share fleet and bottling materials, and have their own independent toast-/cask-management project in green surroundings. Like the first distillery, the 2nd distillery leverages its small production to experiment and develop unique processes.
• Product initiatives: The 2nd distillery was established to stabilize the supply of Ichiro’s Malt products and to reflect continued innovation in craft whisky.

Whisky products

• Range and focus: Primarily Ichiro’s Malt products tied to the秩父 destination; focus on single malts and special releases.
• Important products: Ichiro’s Malt 秩父ディスティラリー II (latest single malt) planned for release in 2025; expected to expand the range and add new special editions from秩父 II.
• Unique processes: Ability for own harvesting and aging of Mizunara- and French oak-type woods through the first and second distilleries, giving varying and complex flavor profiles (and the possibility of own cooperage via Taranso-French oak).

Tasting notes

• General characteristics: With gas-fired heating in both wash- and spirit-still and varying oak maturation, complex and powerful aromas are expected in the products from 秩父 II, as well as variations between unique suitable cask types (French oak from Taranso). The first distillery is renowned for Mizunara fermentation, which gives distinctive notes in certain releases; 秩父第2蒸溜所 contributes to a broader range of flavor profiles through French oak fermentation and new cask materials.

Events and news

• 2024: Release of Ichiro’s Malt 秩父ディスティラリー2nd 秩父ウイスキー祭2024 (Chichibu Whisky Festival 2024) – marking the distillery's releases and festival activities.
• 2025: Planned release of Ichiro’s Malt 秩父ディスティラリーII (single malt) – the next step in the distillery's product development and marketing focus.
• Generally: Ongoing news and events are expected through official channels and releases from the Chichibu activities and festivals.

Philosophy and values

• Focus on quality and craftsmanship: Founder Ishiro Hito (肥土伊知郎) sought “the essence of the whisky-making” and the driving force behind the distillery's approach is to pursue this origin through ambitious processes and craftsmanship.
• Innovation and origin: Small-scale production enables continual innovation, testing new methods and materials (e.g., Mizunara fermentation at the first distillery and French oak fermentation at the second), with a focus on achieving complex and powerful aromas and character in the whiskies.
• Ties to regional craftsmanship: Sharing floor malting and collaboration between the first and second distilleries underscores the commitment to quality and continuity in processes and raw materials.