Smoky Whisky

About

Saburomaru is one of Japan's most unlikely whiskies: born from post-war food shortages, fire, and crowdfunding. Takahiko Inagaki, fifth-generation heir to the Inagaki family behind Wakatsuru Brewery (founded 1862), returned from Silicon Valley in 2015 to find a distillery in Tonami, Toyama that had been making whisky since 1952 but was nearly forgotten. He transformed it into a testament to grit and passion — a distillery now devoted entirely to smoky whisky. This Smoky Whisky uses heavily peated malt (around 50ppm) and an unconventional fermentation method: two yeasts (ale and whisky) in hollow fermentation for three days. The result is a whisky of deep, smoky character and solid body. On the nose: rich vanilla and syrup, followed by strong peat smoke and fresh fruit. The palate brings earthy peat forward with sweet vanilla, bright citrus, and a hint of anise. The finish turns peppery and briny, with smoked pears and hardwood notes that linger. This is whisky for those unafraid of smoke and depth — proof that Japan's whisky revolution doesn't begin in Kyoto or Hokkaido, but in the quiet factories of Toyama.

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