Karuizawa Distillers, has announced that construction on its state-of-the-art Komoro Distillery has begun.
Phase one of the ground works on the distillery which is located
7 miles from the original Karuizawa Distillery in Japan, is now complete, with
the construction phase now underway.
 |
| The planned Komoro Distillery |
The Komoro Distillery site is the culmination of a five-year search for the perfect place to build a whisky distillery by Karuizawa Distillers’ Founder, Koji Shimaoka. Whereas most distilleries around the world are located on level, flat land, mainly for convenience, Koji and Ian Chang (Co-Founder and Master Blender) eventually chose this site - despite the challenging, undulating landscape - to gain access to the perfect water source and maturation environment.
The distillery is aiming is to make the best Japanese single
malt whisky, in the most environmentally friendly way possible, whilst
honouring and protecting the legacy of the Karuizawa name.
This state-of-the-art ultra-modern distillery, designed by
architects Akira and Mami Sogo, is a one of its kind, floor to ceiling glass
structure. As a result, visitors will be able to view the stills, framed by the
beautiful natural environment, from anywhere in the distillery.
Commenting on the news, Ian Chang, said: “I am so grateful
to our architects, Akira and Mami Sogo, who have designed such a modern and
innovative, purpose-built distillery. A design which will integrate our team
(the People), the nature (the Place) and the whisky (the Liquid) all together in
perfect harmony. This not only applies to the production side, but most
importantly to the maturation of our highly anticipated spirit!”
The Komoro Distillery is scheduled to start production in
spring 2023.
Posted by Steve Rush