Chichibu

In 2013 Akuto bought the equipment of a retiring master cooper and set up a cooperage, a cask-making workshop, at the distillery.^6,7 Its first mizunara cask made wholly in-house was finished in October 2016.^6,7 In October 2019 Venture Whisky began distilling at Chichibu II, a larger second distillery close to the first.^1,2,4 The original distillery has since become a micro-distillery for distillation trials that could be scaled up at the larger one.^1,2,4

It runs a small maltings, and its staff have studied floor malting in the UK to malt barley from Saitama Prefecture there.^3,4,8 Imported British malt is also used, and local barley makes up some 10 to 15 percent of the malt.^3,4,8 It has 8 washbacks, each holding about 3,100 litres.^6,8,9 The company says fermentation lasts an average of 90 to 100 hours, against the usual 48 to 72 hours.³ It says lactic bacteria living in the mizunara oak produce fruity notes.^3,4 It uses local mineral water.³ Its stills are steam-heated.^4,9 Steam was chosen because it needs less upkeep and makes the heat easier to control, which suited a new distillery.^4,9 Its wash still and spirit still, 2,000 litres each, are straight-necked and distil the wash, the fermented beer, twice.^4,9 Their lyne arms, the pipes that carry vapour from the still to the condenser, slope 12 degrees down.^4,9

Sources

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