History

From the Bar's Idea to Kuju Distillery

Shoji Utoda, founder of Kuju Distillery, became hooked on whisky after a meeting in a bar during his student days. He worked for many years in a family-owned spirits business and decided to realize a dream of making whisky with his own hands. In 2018 they purchased the site that previously housed Kobayakawa Brewery, where spring water was nearby. He believed whisky could be created here and would bring life to the small town of Kuju. In 2019 he trained at Tsunuki Distillery in Kagoshima; in 2020 the distillery's construction began, and the pandemic changed plans. Hirano Shoten stepped in to assist with the setup. In January 2021 Kuju Distillery received a whisky production license, and production began in February 2021. The first distillation took place on February 27, 2021. Since then the distillery has worked to create whisky that reflects Kuju and the nature of the area, aiming to become one of the world's best distilleries.

Products and First Steps

• Kuju (Single Malt) – The Beginning of Single Malt, aged in bourbon casks and refill and sherry cask finishes, bottled at cask strength. Notes: green fruits before ripening, malt sweetness and a complex structure. Alcohol: 58%, 700 ml.
• Kuju sora2025 (Single Malt) – 50% ABV; blend of several mature whiskies with clear fruity notes and later layers of peated smoke.
• Green Dram (Blended Malt) – 46% ABV; blended malt (own malt and imported malts), re-aged and bottled in Kuju; notes of blue fruits and herbs; oily mouthfeel.

Philosophy and Craft

The distillery places emphasis on nature, high-quality spring water, and patience; the whisky matures slowly in the cool climate of the Kuju Highlands. They pursue long-term craftsmanship and seek to honor the past, while whisky becomes a relationship between the land's memories and culture and the future.

Production and Facilities

• Pot Stills: Forsyth, 2,500 L and 1,800 L, straight; indirect steam heating; cooling via shell and tube; abundant groundwater ensures stable cooling year-round. The building has large windows and is lit until 10 PM.
• Malting and Fermentation: mostly imported malt; about 10% grown by contract farmers in the prefecture; batch size 500 kg; 5 wooden fermentation vats (Douglas fir); fermentation time 4 days. In August 2022 all fermentation tanks were changed to wood.
• Maturation and Aging: predominantly used bourbon casks; variations with sherry, wine, rum, Armagnac and calvados; the distillery sits in a relatively cool climate due to altitude, which yields slower maturation; the first maturation room uses dunnage; second and third maturation rooms completed in 2022 and 2024 respectively; there is also storage in a nearby area.

Visits and Experiences

• Factory tours are planned as coming soon; for now, tour options are limited to products and stories online.

Future and Focus

• The distillery will continue whisky production for many years and places strong emphasis on craftsmanship, curiosity, and gratitude for the support from the local community and the past.