Tomatin owner previews Kurokabegura single malt
Takara Shuzo International, owner of Scotch producer Tomatin, has launched Kurokabegura new make spirit in the UK – a limited early preview of the single malt Japanese whisky of the same name.
The spirit was distilled at the Kurokabegura Distillery in the town of Takanabe-cho in Miyazaki, Japan, and has been unveiled ahead of the launch of the inaugural Kurokabegura single malt whisky, anticipated for release in the coming years.
The new make spirit has been bottled at 63% ABV, and is presented in a slimline, premium glass decanter featuring Japanese brushwork calligraphy, known as shodo.
The new make spirit opens with a rich, sweet aroma, with notes of raisins, banana and honey, and offers a deep and lingering maltiness on the palate.
Tomatin managing director Stephen Bremner said: “We’re seeing an increasing number of whisky enthusiasts purchasing new make in anticipation of how it will evolve in the future, and I have no doubt Kurokabegura will surprise and delight in equal measure.”
Previously only available in Japan, Kurokabegura new make spirit is now distributed globally via the Tomatin online shop, as well as from the Tomatin Distillery visitor centre, priced at £34 (US$46) per 200ml bottle.
It will also be available to sample and purchase at The Whisky Show at Old Billingsgate in London from 3-5 October 2025.
Historic legacy
The Kurokabegura Distillery, which has a legacy of excellence in Japanese shōchū production, has utilised copper pot stills crafted in Scotland by McMillan Coppersmiths and installed in 1979 to craft the new make spirit.
The stills’ design follows the style of the Shirakawa distillery, also owned by Takara Shuzo and located 200km north of Tokyo in the Fukushima Prefecture, where Japanese whisky was produced in the 1950s.
Even though Shirakawa Distillery was one of the pioneers of malt whisky making in Japan, it was never officially available as a single malt. That category didn’t take off in Japan until the mid-1980s, and by that time, it is said that Takara Shuzo’s focus lay elsewhere.
As such, a single parcel of Shirakawa was forgotten for decades, as the distillery moved on from whisky-making to produce more traditional Japanese spirits that gained popularity through the second half of the 20th century.
Bremner became fascinated by the history of Takara Shuzo’s whisky production, interviewing former employees and scouring the globe for documents relating to Shirakawa. He eventually tracked down not just the history of the distillery, but also one last remaining parcel of single malt, which he located at Kurokabegura in 2019.
Released in 2022, Shirakawa 1958 is thought to be the earliest known and rarest single vintage Japanese whisky ever bottled.
Bremner said: “Takara Shuzo’s quiet dedication to whisky-making at Kurokabegura Distillery is very similar to our own distillery ethos here in the Highlands, so forging a meaningful partnership over thousands of miles to bring Japanese new make to the rest of the world has been an incredible experience, and follows on from the release of the world’s rarest Japanese single malt, Shirakawa 1958.”
Takahiro Shimizu, executive officer at Takara Shuzo International, added: “Our team has dedicated years to mastering the art of cask maturation through our experience with crafting around 85 expressions of shōchū, each one contributing to our understanding of wood and time.
“Kurokabegura Distillery has a dedicated cooperage where each cask is carefully managed, restored and prepared. This close attention allows the whisky to mature under expert care and achieve its finest character. Our new make release is testament to the high quality of our spirit, demonstrating the starting point from which our whisky is crafted.”
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