Hanyu

Since 1626, the Akuto family has brewed sake in Chichibu, Japan - it wasn't until 1941 that Isouji Akuto founded a second site in the nearby town of Hanyu, which turned to whisky production in the 1980s using imported Scottish stills. Whisky production, however, was short-lived: an economic crisis forced the distillery to close in 2000, and its equipment was fully dismantled by 2004. What followed is one of the whisky world's most moving rescue stories: Isouji's grandson Ichiro Akuto bought up the remaining cask stocks through his newly founded company Venture Whisky and, from 2005, released the legendary "Ichiro's Malt Card Series" - 54 single-cask bottlings from vintages between 1985 and 2000, each named after a playing card. In 2008, Ichiro finally founded his own distillery, Chichibu, writing a new chapter in the family's history.

What is the "Ichiro's Malt Card Series"?

After Hanyu closed, Ichiro Akuto rescued the remaining casks and, from 2005, released them as a series of 54 single-cask bottlings, each named after a playing card - today one of the most sought-after and valuable collector's series in the whisky world.

Why is the family history so remarkable?

The Akuto family has brewed sake in Chichibu for almost 400 years - the venture into whisky at Hanyu lasted only around two decades, yet grandson Ichiro turned the closed distillery's legacy into one of modern Japanese whisky's best-known success stories.

Flavour profile

Taste: Varies considerably by individual cask - from fruity and elegant to bold and spiced, always with a malty depth typical of Hanyu.

Recommended enjoyment: A museum-grade rarity - should a Card Series bottling ever surface, it's a must for collectors.

Facts and figures

Akuto family sake brewers since 1626 in Chichibu. Hanyu distillery founded 1941, whisky production from the 1980s, closed 2000, dismantled 2004. Ichiro's Malt Card Series: 54 single-cask bottlings 2005-2014.