【Komoro】Komoro Distillery – The challenge of making a supreme Japanese whiskey by Mr. Ian Chan, one of the world’s best whiskey makers

The year 1923 is said to be the “First Year of Whisky” in Japan. It was the year that Masataka Taketsuru, known as the “Father of Whisky in Japan,” was appointed as the first factory manager of the Kotobukiya Yamazaki Factory (now Suntory Yamazaki Distillery) to produce Japan’s first authentic Scotch whisky.

In July 2023, the 100th anniversary of the birth of Japanese whisky, the Komoro Distillery was established in Komoro City, Nagano Prefecture. In fact, the distillery was selected by a major British magazine as one of the three most visited distilleries in the world, and was the first distillery in Asia to be selected as the host of the World Whisky Forum (WWF), a gathering of people involved in whisky from around the world. This time, I visited the much-awaited Komoro Distillery!

History of the Komoro Distillery

Mr. Koji Shimaoka, the founder and president of Karuizawa Distillers, which created the Komoro distillery, has a unique background as a former trader at Citibank. Originally fascinated by whisky and dreaming of owning his own distillery, Mr. Shimaoka was considering reviving the distillery in Karuizawa with the hope of reviving the fame of the former Mercian Karuizawa distillery, but he could not find an ideal site in Karuizawa. However, he found the ideal land in the neighboring city of Komoro, and was also strangely blessed with a good encounter. Despite his lack of experience and funds, the president of Forsythe, who shared Mr. Shimaoka’s passion, introduced him to a wonderful maker. That was Mr. Ian Chang, co-founder, vice president, and master blender of the Komoro distillery.

Mr. Ian Chang is a household name in the industry: he was the master blender at Taiwan’s Kavalan Distillery, which won global awards in the 2010s and broke new ground in Asian whisky, and for two years in a row since 2016, he was named the London’s IWSC’s Whisky Producer of the Year.

When Mr. Shimaoka had the opportunity to meet with Mr. Chang online, he gathered as much information as possible, including a table of water composition in Komoro, annual temperature data, photos of the site, and a financial plan etc. At the end of the three-hour meeting, Mr. Chang said, “I’m in!” and they promised to create the ideal distillery together.

It was in 2020 when it announced that Mr. Chang would be joining an unknown venture. The industry was in an uproar and the Komoro distillery became the center of attention even before it was built.

Not only did Mr. Shimaoka and Mr. Chang’s visions match, but the location and environment of Komoro were also decisive factors in Mr. Chang’s decision to join the project.

Unlike Taiwan, which has a subtropical climate, Komoro has a cooler climate at 910 meters above sea level. Mr. Chang thought, “It is similar to Speyside, where Scotch whisky is produced, so we can try our hand at making high-quality whisky.”

The area is also surrounded by a rich natural environment at the foot of Mt. Asama, the hard water is extremely beneficial to the yeast as it contains minerals and trace elements. The hardness of the water is also within the ideal range for Mr. Chang.

Furthermore, the Komoro distillery is located within easy access from two Shinkansen stations, about 30 minutes by car from Karuizawa Station and about 20 minutes from Sakudaira Station. This matched their desire to create a distillery that can be visited by tourists.

About 10 years have passed since Mr. Shimaoka dreamed of building a whisky distillery, and on June 18, 2023, the completion ceremony was attended by the Governor of Nagano Prefecture, the Mayor of Komoro, the Mayor of Karuizawa, and many people from embassies in the UK, Taiwan, France, and other local affiliated companies. The grand opening was held on July 23, 2023.

Whisky Academy

The Komoro Distillery offers hands-on courses as part of its activities to promote the appeal of whisky. The courses range from those who are just starting out (beginners) to those who want to deepen their knowledge (experts), and are supervised by Mr. Eddie Ludlow, Tasting Judge for Scotch/World Whisky panels, IWSC and Author of of the best-selling book, Whisky – A Tasting Course -.

This time, I participated in the “Tasting 101 ~Learn how to get the most out of whisky~” course for beginners. In this course, we learn the basics of whisky, such as what whisky is, what ingredients it is made of, and the basic manufacturing process. We also learn how the ingredients and manufacturing process affect the flavor of whisky by tasting it using flavor and color charts.

Even though I am a whisky novice and have always had an aversion to whisky, I found the course interesting and fun to attend. Although the three whiskies prepared for the flavor analysis were all aged for the same number of years, I was able to learn the reasons for the differences in aroma and taste, which motivated me to learn more about whisky in the future. I was told that a whisky needs to be aged for at least three years in cask to be called a Japanese whisky, so this time it was not from the Komoro distillery but from another company. However, this also motivated me to attend a whisky academy at “Komoro” in a few years.

Of course, those who cannot drink alcohol can also attend the course, in which case the tasting will be a juice tasting using locally grown apples.

Production Tour

The Komoro Distillery offers tours of the production area approximately every hour (*no participation by those under 12 years old). Production tours are included in the Whisky Academy, or you can also participate in the “KOMORO Experience” plan (welcome cocktail and production tour).

I could smell the whisky being made, see the fermentation process, and get a close-up look at the pot stills, and it made my heart flutter with excitement: “Oh, this is where Japan’s leading whisky is born!” I felt a buzz of excitement in my heart.

The pot stills at the Komoro distillery are made of copper by Forsyth, a British distiller. Copper has the property of removing impurities and helps produce a softer, richer flavor.

After touring the production area, we were shown the aging room. Named “Jim Swan House” after Mr. Ian Chang’s mentor, the dome-shaped aging house is a maturing device that makes the most of the natural environment of Komoro. A selection of bourbon and sherry casks from all over the world are lined up to mark the passage of time.

Whisky spends much of its time in casks before it is released as a product, during which time the amount of the original whisky in the casks is gradually reduced. The whiskey that has been reduced during the aging process is called “angel’s share” because it is believed that angels must be drinking it secretly. To express this, the ceiling of this cellar is illuminated with lights that look like angel’s rings. It is playful and cute, my favorite point.

BAR & SHOP

Inside the Visitor Center, there is a bar where you can enjoy original cocktails and new make whiskey from the Komoro Distillery while admiring the pot stills, and a store selling a selection of whisky-related items and original items from the Komoro Distillery.

The bar offers a wide variety of seasonal food menus and snacks that go well with whiskey. I had the “KOMORO Burger” and “Seasonal Gelato” with a “Non-alcoholic Apple Cocktail” as a set. The portions are small, but all were delicious.

This time, we introduced the Komoro distillery, which makes us believe that “the supreme Japanese whiskey is born here.”

Why don’t you visit the Komoro Distillery too?