Delightfully welcoming whisky

Kaikyo Distillery And Hatozaki Whisky Honor A Long Tradition In Brewing And Distilling

By Michael Tulipan

Fueled by international acclaim and the appreciation of connoisseurs worldwide, Japanese Whisky continues to experience phenomenal sales growth outside Japan. Though domestic production remains dominated by a few large companies, the category offers plenty of opportunities in the United States for smaller producers like the family behind Kaikyo Distillery and Hatozaki Whisky.

The founding Yonezawa family has a long tradition of brewing and distilling, starting in 1856 with its Akashi Sake Brewery. In 1917, they branched out into distilled spirits, and in 2017, Master Distiller Kimio Yonezawa honored this long legacy by creating the Kaikyo Distillery and the Hatozaki line of whiskies.

The brand is inspired by Japan’s Edo period, an era of delicate naturalistic art and the country’s ties to the sea. Akashi Sake Brewery and Kaikyo Distillery take their names from the famed Akashi-Kaikyo bridge, the second longest suspension bridge in the world, spanning Osaka Bay, to connect Japan’s main island Honshu with Awaji Island. Continuing the nautical connection, Hatozaki Whisky shares its name with Japan’s oldest remaining stone lighthouse.

Situated on the Seto Inland Sea Shores, the Kaikyo Distillery benefits from sea breezes and salty humidity. The climate swings from dry and temperate in the winter to hot and humid in the summer, creating aging conditions that result in whiskies with an elegant complexity and balance.

As expected with Japanese craftsmanship, the whiskies are the product of a virtuoso level of precision. Everything has been considered, from the carefully selected spirits in each blend and the type of wood and char levels of each barrel used for aging to the customized design of the pot stills and the precise blending and aging methods used by the Kaikyo team.

Hatozaki Finest Blended offers an unpeated blended whisky that offers bartenders the versatility to serve it neat or in a cocktail. The whisky is aged up to 12-years and is the product of a two-stage blending process resulting in aromatic and floral notes. “It’s balanced and delicate,” shares Yonezawa, “and it gives a new look to many classic Japanese cocktails such as the Highball or Matcha Tea Highball.”

The much richer Hatozaki Small Batch Whisky is a 100% malt whisky that ages for several years in a combination of ex-bourbon casks, ex-sherry casks, and Japanese Mizunara casks from the Hokkaido and Tohuku forests. This flagship whisky is only produced in small batches of less than 20 casks. The flavor profile is redolent of sweet cereal and malty dried fruit with a light touch of smoke and honey on the finish.

Hatozaki will soon launch its second limited edition of Omakase. This 100% malt craft whisky blends 8-year-old single malts that have been aged in a combination of old American oak barrels and traditional Mizunara oak casks Yonezawa says the whisky is “uncolored and unfiltered to preserve all the whisky’s character.” Omakase possesses a rich and powerful profile with notes of roasted cereals and ripe fruits.

As both a brewer and distiller, Yonezawa uses his diverse talents and skill to create elegant, smooth whiskey that is easy to enjoy and enhances everyday experiences with friends and family. “The Kaikyo Distillery is committed to respecting a heritage and bringing the very best whiskies to United States consumers, with the dedication of its great team,” he says. “So, we will continue making new whiskies for the next 100 years.”

His 5 Tips to a Successful Beverage Program

Passion, a great team, using high quality products at all times, attention to detail is critical, and always staying knowledgeable about industry trends and educating the team.

Bartender Advice

I love to cook, so incorporating sous vide into mixology, the clarification process and molecular gastronomy techniques all elevate cocktails and ensure guests are wowed.

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