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Karuizawa Distillery

Karuizawa was a small distillery that produced first-class malt whiskeys.

There is no shortage of thawing snow at Mount Asama and the chilly climate provided an excellent location for whiskey making. In 1976 the first 100 percent domestic malt whiskey saw the light of day at Karuizawa. The whiskey was stored in small barrels, and the distillery used small pots for distillation. The storehouse of Karuizawa was also covered in ivy, which is said to assist in keeping the temperature and humidity at exactly the right levels for producing good whisky. Though small, this distillery was known for producing whiskey of the finest quality.

Karuizawa whiskeys are noted for their floral scent and maturity, making them highly sought-after products. In former times the company produced pharmaceuticals and chemicals as well as alcoholic beverages before focusing solely on alcoholic beverages.

History Of Karuizawa Distillery

Suzuki Chuji, the second son of the founder of the Ajinomoto brand, started brewing sake from soya beans and founded the Showa Brewing Corp. in 1934.

After establishing a factory in Kawasaki, the company began producing Miraku refined sake, and in 1949, the name of the company was changed to Miraku Breweries Corp. In 1955, Karuizawa distillery was built near Mount Asama, and whisky production began.

In 1961 the company acquired wine maker Nisshin Breweries based in the city of Koshu. The Nisshin owned the Mercian brand, and under this name the company added wine its production. In the following year it acquired the Ocean brand (owned by Daikoku Wineries). Following the example of Suntory, the company became a large producer of Western style alcoholic beverages under the Ocean name.

In 1970 the company marketed Chateau Mercian wine, and then during the 1980s highball boom, the company started making sour drinks and cocktails of all sorts, such as the famous peachtree fizz that’s still popular today. In 1990 the company acquired its present name of Mercian.

For a long time, the Suzuki family owned the largest shares in Ajinomoto; however, in 1997 following a power struggle, the company president published a damning account of family’s behavior. The company was then reworked and improved before being acquired as a subsidiary of Kirin Holdings in the mid-2000s. Today, Mercian forms the nucleus of the Kirin group’s wine industry. Although the main shareholder has changed, the company itself remains largely unchanged from its Ajinomoto origins.

But Kirin could not sustain the premium whisky production, so the Karuizawa distillery and its sister distillery at Kawasaki closed in 2011. When Karuizawa was completely shuttered in 2012, the pot still and other equipment were removed, and what could be sold was sold off. As Karuizawa is now a rare, world-famous whisky, its price has almost doubled in recent times. Currently it’s not easy to get one’s hands on a bottle.

How To Find Karuizawa Distillery

Unfortunately it is no longer possible to visit Karuizawa distillery as it was closed and the land on which it stood sold in 2012.

Showing 1–36 of 180 results

Lazy

Karuizawa 100% Malt Whisky 12 Years

Rated 0 out of 5

$999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 889.99
GBP: £ 799.99
JPY: ¥ 108,079
SGD: $1,359.99
AUD: $1,419.99

in stock

Lazy

Karuizawa 25 Malts

Rated 0 out of 5

$849.99 (USD)

EUR: € 756.49
GBP: £ 679.99
JPY: ¥ 91,867
SGD: $1,155.99
AUD: $1,206.99

in stock

Lazy

Ocean Whisky ‘Heaven’

Rated 0 out of 5

$179.99 (USD)

EUR: € 160.19
GBP: £ 143.99
JPY: ¥ 19,453
SGD: $244.79
AUD: $255.59

in stock

Lazy

Karuizawa 100% Malt 12 Year Old Whisky

Rated 5.00 out of 5

$1,299.99 (USD)

EUR: € 1,156.99
GBP: £ 1,039.99
JPY: ¥ 140,503
SGD: $1,767.99
AUD: $1,845.99

in stock

Lazy

Karuizawa Gloria Ocean Ship Gold Bottle

Rated 0 out of 5

$334.99 (USD)

EUR: € 298.14
GBP: £ 267.99
JPY: ¥ 36,206
SGD: $455.59
AUD: $475.69

in stock

Lazy

Rated 0 out of 5

$5,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 5,339.99
GBP: £ 4,799.99
JPY: ¥ 648,479
SGD: $8,159.99
AUD: $8,519.99

in stock

Lazy

Karuizawa 15 Year Old 100% Malt Final Version

Rated 0 out of 5

$1,599.99 (USD)

EUR: € 1,423.99
GBP: £ 1,279.99
JPY: ¥ 172,927
SGD: $2,175.99
AUD: $2,271.99

in stock

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Karuizawa 12 Years Old Pure Malt 2001 Final Version

Rated 0 out of 5

$2,599.99 (USD)

EUR: € 2,313.99
GBP: £ 2,079.99
JPY: ¥ 281,007
SGD: $3,535.99
AUD: $3,691.99

in stock

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Karuizawa 40 Year Old Limited Edition

Rated 0 out of 5

~~$3,499.99~~ $2,799.99 (USD)

EUR: € 2,491.99
GBP: £ 2,239.99
JPY: ¥ 302,623
SGD: $3,807.99
AUD: $3,975.99

in stock

Lazy

Ocean Whisky ‘Gloria’ Marine Sense

Rated 0 out of 5

$399.99 (USD)

EUR: € 355.99
GBP: £ 319.99
JPY: ¥ 43,231
SGD: $543.99
AUD: $567.99

in stock

Lazy

Karuizawa Sanraku Ocean 12 Year Old

Rated 0 out of 5

$699.99 (USD)

EUR: € 622.99
GBP: £ 559.99
JPY: ¥ 75,655
SGD: $951.99
AUD: $993.99

in stock

Lazy

Karuizawa 15 Years Old Single Malt

Rated 0 out of 5

$1,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 1,779.99
GBP: £ 1,599.99
JPY: ¥ 216,159
SGD: $2,719.99
AUD: $2,839.99

in stock

Lazy

Karuizawa Golden Geisha 31 Year Old Whisky (Price Upon Request)

Rated 0 out of 5

(USD)

EUR: € 0.00
GBP: £ 0.00
JPY: ¥ 0
SGD: $0.00
AUD: $0.00

in stock

Lazy

Karuizawa Ocean 12 Year Old Special Gift Set

Rated 0 out of 5

$299.99 (USD)

EUR: € 266.99
GBP: £ 239.99
JPY: ¥ 32,423
SGD: $407.99
AUD: $425.99

in stock

Lazy

Hanshin Tigers Karuizawa 2003 Senshi Tachi (12 Bottles Set)

Rated 0 out of 5

$1,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 1,779.99
GBP: £ 1,599.99
JPY: ¥ 216,159
SGD: $2,719.99
AUD: $2,839.99

in stock

Lazy

Karuizawa Black Ocean Whisky

Rated 0 out of 5

$249.99 (USD)

EUR: € 222.49
GBP: £ 199.99
JPY: ¥ 27,019
SGD: $339.99
AUD: $354.99

in stock

Sale!

Lazy

Karuizawa Gloria Ocean Special Grade Whisky

Rated 0 out of 5

~~$349.99~~ $299.99 (USD)

EUR: € 266.99
GBP: £ 239.99
JPY: ¥ 32,423
SGD: $407.99
AUD: $425.99

in stock

Lazy

Ocean Whisky Asama Blended

Rated 0 out of 5

$689.99 (USD)

EUR: € 614.09
GBP: £ 551.99
JPY: ¥ 74,574
SGD: $938.39
AUD: $979.79

in stock

Lazy

Karuizawa Noh 23 Year Old Cask# 7893

Rated 0 out of 5

$7,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 7,119.99
GBP: £ 6,399.99
JPY: ¥ 864,639
SGD: $10,879.99
AUD: $11,359.99

in stock

Lazy

Karuizawa 1982 Geisha

Rated 0 out of 5

$7,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 7,119.99
GBP: £ 6,399.99
JPY: ¥ 864,639
SGD: $10,879.99
AUD: $11,359.99

in stock

Lazy

Karuizawa Mercian 8 Years Old Ship Bottle Whisky (No Box)

Rated 0 out of 5

$299.99 (USD)

EUR: € 266.99
GBP: £ 239.99
JPY: ¥ 32,423
SGD: $407.99
AUD: $425.99

in stock

Lazy

Karuizawa 15 Year Old 100% Malt Whisky

Rated 0 out of 5

$1,899.99 (USD)

EUR: € 1,690.99
GBP: £ 1,519.99
JPY: ¥ 205,351
SGD: $2,583.99
AUD: $2,697.99

in stock

Lazy

Sanraku Ocean Hanshin Tigers 1985 Nippon Series Champions Blended Whisky

Rated 0 out of 5

$349.99 (USD)

EUR: € 311.49
GBP: £ 279.99
JPY: ¥ 37,827
SGD: $475.99
AUD: $496.99

in stock

Lazy

Karuizawa 100% Malt 10 Year Old Whisky

Rated 0 out of 5

$1,499.99 (USD)

EUR: € 1,334.99
GBP: £ 1,199.99
JPY: ¥ 162,119
SGD: $2,039.99
AUD: $2,129.99

in stock

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Karuizawa The Champion’s Choice Old Whisky

Rated 0 out of 5

$899.99 (USD)

EUR: € 800.99
GBP: £ 719.99
JPY: ¥ 97,271
SGD: $1,223.99
AUD: $1,277.99

in stock

Lazy

Karuizawa Japanese Single Malt ASAMA

Rated 0 out of 5

$1,399.99 (USD)

EUR: € 1,245.99
GBP: £ 1,119.99
JPY: ¥ 151,311
SGD: $1,903.99
AUD: $1,987.99

in stock

Lazy

Karuizawa 100% Malt Whisky 8 Year Old Final Version

Rated 0 out of 5

$749.99 (USD)

EUR: € 667.49
GBP: £ 599.99
JPY: ¥ 81,059
SGD: $1,019.99
AUD: $1,064.99

in stock

Lazy

Karuizawa “Aqua of Life” 50 Year Old

Rated 5.00 out of 5

$59,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 53,399.99
GBP: £ 47,999.99
JPY: ¥ 6,484,799
SGD: $81,599.99
AUD: $85,199.99

in stock

Lazy

Karuizawa Ocean 12 Year Old and Ice Bucket Gift Set

Rated 5.00 out of 5

$479.99 (USD)

EUR: € 427.19
GBP: £ 383.99
JPY: ¥ 51,877
SGD: $652.79
AUD: $681.59

in stock

Lazy

Karuizawa 1999-2000 Geisha 2017

Rated 0 out of 5

$3,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 3,559.99
GBP: £ 3,199.99
JPY: ¥ 432,319
SGD: $5,439.99
AUD: $5,679.99

in stock

Lazy

Karuizawa 36 Views Of Mount Fuji – Cushion Pine At Aoyama Batch 11

Rated 0 out of 5

$2,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 2,669.99
GBP: £ 2,399.99
JPY: ¥ 324,239
SGD: $4,079.99
AUD: $4,259.99

in stock

Lazy

Karuizawa 1999 Single Cask 18 Year Old #2410 – Taiwan Duty Free

Rated 0 out of 5

$4,499.99 (USD)

EUR: € 4,004.99
GBP: £ 3,599.99
JPY: ¥ 486,359
SGD: $6,119.99
AUD: $6,389.99

in stock

Lazy

Karuizawa 1981 Single Cask 35 Year Old #7427 / Snow Scene

Rated 0 out of 5

$11,999.99 (USD)

EUR: € 10,679.99
GBP: £ 9,599.99
JPY: ¥ 1,296,959
SGD: $16,319.99
AUD: $17,039.99

in stock

Lazy

Karuizawa Ocean White Ice Field Whisky (No Box)

Rated 0 out of 5

$189.99 (USD)

EUR: € 169.09
GBP: £ 151.99
JPY: ¥ 20,534
SGD: $258.39
AUD: $269.79

in stock

Lazy

Karuizawa Ocean Blender’s Flask 100% Malt Gift Set

Rated 0 out of 5

$874.99 (USD)

EUR: € 778.74
GBP: £ 699.99
JPY: ¥ 94,569
SGD: $1,189.99
AUD: $1,242.49

in stock

Lazy

Karuizawa Ocean 12 Year Old Special Gift Set

Rated 0 out of 5

$399.99 (USD)

EUR: € 355.99
GBP: £ 319.99
JPY: ¥ 43,231
SGD: $543.99
AUD: $567.99

in stock