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3rd September 2025 |
Tomatin owner
Takara Shuzo International announces
global release of Kurokabegura new make
spirit.
 Takara Shuzo International, owner of
Tomatin and the historic Japanese
Shirakawa Distillery, has launched
Kurokabegura New Make Spirit in the UK —
a rare preview of the distillery’s
forthcoming single malt Japanese whisky.
Distilled at Kurokabegura in
Takanabe-cho, Miyazaki, the spirit is
bottled at 63% ABV in a slimline
decanter decorated with traditional
shodō calligraphy. It is said to open
with aromas of raisins, banana and
honey, delivering bold malt character
and a lingering finish.
Previously exclusive to Japan, the
release is now available worldwide via
the Tomatin online shop. Whisky
production at Kurokabegura dates back to
1982, with the distillery already
renowned for award-winning shōchū. Its
copper pot stills, built by Scotland’s
McMillan Coppersmiths in 1979, mirror
those of Shirakawa, where Japanese
whisky was made in the 1950s.
The Shirakawa legacy resurfaced in 2019
when Tomatin managing director Stephen
Bremner uncovered documents, history,
and a forgotten parcel of single malt at
Kurokabegura. Bottled as Shirakawa 1958,
it was released in 2022 and is believed
to be the earliest known vintage
Japanese whisky ever produced.
Takahiro Shimizu, Executive Officer at
Takara Shuzo International, said: "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."
Stephen Bremner, Managing Director at
Tomatin Distillery, 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.
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."
Priced at £34 for a 200ml bottle,
Kurokabegura New Make Spirit can be
purchased from the Tomatin Distillery
Visitor Centre and online shop. Visitors
to The Whisky Show run by
The Whisky Exchange
at Old Billingsgate,
London (3–5 October 2025), will also
have the opportunity to sample and buy
it.
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