Prices
- The Whisky Station · 700ml
Usually $289.00$250.00In stockLowest priceView at The Whisky Station - Paul's Liquor · 700ml$268.99In stockView at Paul's Liquor
- The Whisky Company · 700ml$315.00In stockView at The Whisky Company
- Bottle Stop · 700ml, Each$326.99In stockView at Bottle Stop
- The Drink Society · 700ml$249.99Sold outView at The Drink Society
- Kent Street Cellars · 700ml$269.99Sold outView at Kent Street Cellars
Prices and stock come from each retailer's website. Check with the store before you buy.
More from this distillery: All Togouchi and Sakurao whiskies and prices
About
What it is
A 15 year old blended whisky sold under the Togouchi name by Sakurao Brewery and Distillery, formerly Chugoku Jozo, in Hiroshima. Bottled at 43.8%.
Where it comes from
Chugoku Jozo made whisky from 1938 until 1989, when it stopped as domestic demand collapsed. It returned to the market in 2003 with Togouchi, a blend built on imported Scottish malt and Canadian grain, shipped to Japan, matured in a disused railway tunnel at Togouchi and bottled locally. That cannot meet the Japan Spirits and Liqueurs Makers Association standard, which requires distillation in Japan.
The company opened Sakurao Distillery in 2018 and, from 2024, reformulated the Togouchi blended line to use only its own distillate. An age statement of 15 years cannot be Sakurao spirit, since the distillery is younger than that, so a 15 Year Old under this name is the older imported-stock formulation. That's reasoning from the dates rather than a producer statement, so check the label on the bottle in front of you.
How it's made
The tunnel is the selling point and it's a real one. A former railway bore through the mountain at Akiota-Togouchi holds a steady temperature and humidity all year, which produces a smoother, more even maturation than a warehouse with seasons in it.
What to expect
Soft and rounded, with dried fruit, honey and gentle oak spice. Fifteen years of Scottish malt and Canadian grain matured in stable conditions makes for an easy, well-mannered whisky. There's nothing wrong with it, and how you feel about paying Japanese whisky prices for it is a separate question.
How it compares
Against Togouchi Single Malt, that one is genuinely Sakurao's own distillate and 100% Japanese. Against the younger Togouchi blends, the 15 has more depth. Against Kurayoshi from Matsui, the same sourcing model with a similar history of criticism.
