YAMANASHI: Suntory Hakushu Distillery
2019. When time was still easy to get a spot to visit this Hakushu distillery and yes, I made it over here, adding one whisky distillery tour into my list after the visitations to Suntory Yamazaki Distillery and Nikka Whisky Miyagikyo Distillery !
Well, it was not like super easy but still possible to score a seat if you were alert enough to chop the seat at time of the opening for reservation. Unlike now when things have changed and rules have changed, it is really hard to score one spot for the distillery tour. (I will share up again next time!)
Do note that this distillery experience was dated back in November 2019.
For full itinerary, check out Japan Trip Autumn 2019: 9D8N in Tokyo and Explore Tokyo Wide Area
Suntory Hakushu Distillery
Located in Yamanashi Prefecture, this Hakushu Distillery was founded half a century after Yamazaki. This distillery is very picturesque; located in the forest, surrounded by the lush green forest and the natural environments. The underground natural water filtered in the Southern Japan Alps and the blessing of the nature surroundings contributed to the very distinctive characteristics of Hakushu whisky, which is very much different from Yamazaki in terms of flavours, richness and aroma.
I made my reservation once it was open for booking. The tour is around 90 minutes at a fee of ¥ 1,000 (back then in 2019) that included the whisky tasting.
With the JR Wide Area Pass, we boarded on an 8am train (JR limited express “Azusa”) from Shinjuku Station which took us to Kobuchizawa Station. The journey was about 2 hours. We then took the taxi from the station straight to the Suntory Hakushu Distillery. The journey was around 10 to 15minutes at about ¥ 2,000.
After registering and settled with the entrance fee, we were free to roam inside the area until the reserved slot for the tour.
Very tranquil and scenic inside the facility. We took numerous photos at this space.
Beautiful blue sky greeted us in the autumn.
Restaurant inside this facility. Too bad we have no time to dine in here.
Here is the waiting area for the tour, we just gathered here according to our time slot and our reserved tour.
The guided tour was in Japanese. For foreigner, there will be audio guide in English, Spanish, Korean and Chinese.
We followed our guide along the way from the malt selection to mashing, then to fermentation and distillation, and then boarded the bus that took us to the storehouse where whiskey casks were kept, stored and matured.
It smelled so good when we entered into this section! I always love this section, the intense aroma may somehow makes one feeling tipsy LOL.
Moving on to the whisky tasting, also my most anticipated moment! We were served with 4 glasses of whisky namely White Oak Cask Malt Whisky, Lightly Peated Malt Whisky and 2 Hakushu Single Malt Whisky. We were taught to observe the colour, smell the aroma, and enjoy it on the palate and its finishing during this session. We were taught to make their signature MORIKAORU highball using the last glass of whisky.
As my brother and I were the only foreigners during this session, we were presented with the English written guidebook while the guide explained in Japanese language. That’s so omotenashi! Really thoughtful!
Crackers or nuts and chocolate to accompanied the highball. These items can be purchased from the gift shop too!
Made our own highball! Yay!
Happily enjoying my highball. Love its crisp and citrusy note. Feeling as thought I was in the forest (I was in the forest LOL)
The tasting course took place in this hall.
After our guided tour, we hopped over to the bar, for most of their whisky at our own cost. LOL.
Spotted the the Yamazaki 18 years old and 25 years old, of course must order a dram each! Anyway, each of them is limited to one glass per person.
We also sampled on Hakushi Distillery’s Rye type and Chita Distillery’s Wine Cask 4 years finish.
Love the Hakushu MORIKAORU Highball so much and so we ordered another glass as an ending before leaving the facility! It was only ¥ 200!!
Cheers with the buddy Sze!
Do not leave without picking up some souvenirs from the gift shop! There are elegant whisky glasses, coasters, highball glass, chocolate and snacks, chopsticks made from the barrel, postcards… if you were lucky, there will be some bottles available for grab.
We then walked around the second floor on of the museum gallery to clear off some alcohol light-headness before boarding the free shuttle bus back to Kobuchizawa Station and took our train back to Shinjuku Station.
Me and my shopping hauls
Now, every time I sip on Hakushu Whisky, it transported me back to time when I visited this distillery. I do love Yamazaki, but I find myself prefer Hakushu even more! Green and crisp, refreshing and harmony characteristic that mimic the natural surroundings of the Hakushu distillery. Very exquisite refreshing kind of flavours that I love!
Suntory Hakushi Distillery
2913-1 Torihara, Hakushu-cho,
Hokuto-shi, Yamanashi Prefecture
Opening hours:
From 9.30am to 4.30pm
Closed during New Year’s holiday and during distillery shutdown
