Yuza Distillery

Yuza Distillery is located in Yamagata Prefecture, along the Sea of Japan, at the foot of Mount Chōkai – also known locally as Shōnai Fuji. The region is known for its harsh winters with snow depths reaching up to 30 metres, and hot summers where temperatures can climb to 35°C. These seasonal extremes create a dynamic maturation environment for whisky.

Established in 2018 by Kinryu Co Ltd – a company with decades of experience in sake and shōchū production – Yuza Distillery was built with a focus on small-scale, high-quality whisky production. Fermentation takes place in five 6,000-litre washbacks made from Canadian Douglas Fir. The team imported custom pot stills from Forsyths in Speyside, Scotland. The wash still was modelled after those used by Macallan, while the spirit still was inspired by Glendronach, combining traditional Scotch design with Japanese distilling precision.

The spirit is then matured in dunnage-style warehouses, a traditional method that maintains a stable environment for cask ageing. Yuza Distillery adheres to the official standards for Japanese whisky production.

The distillery released its first single malt in 2022. Its coastal location, climate, and production methods make it one of the notable emerging distilleries in Japan’s growing whisky scene.