Collection: Hatozaki - Japanese Whisky

The Kaikyo Distillery, known for its sake production, has launched its first two whiskys to commemorate its 100th anniversary: a Hatozaki Blended and a Pure Malt. The two whiskys were created by Kimio Yonezawa, the Master Distiller and Blender of Hatozaki, who previously produced sake in Akashi, a port city on the Seto Inland Sea, about 30 minutes west of Kobe.

The roots of the Kaikyo Distillery date back to 1856 when the Yonezawa family founded the Akashi Sake Brewery and initially specialized in rice alcohol distillation. In 1917, the focus shifted to pure sake production, and in 2018, the same Yonezawa family decided to celebrate over 100 years of sake production by diversifying into whisky production in a new distillery.

Hatozaki is named after the Hatozaki Lighthouse, depicted on the labels. Built in 1657, it is Japan's oldest stone lighthouse, intended to guide ships safely into the port of Akashi. In 2014, it was declared a National Monument.