Niseko Distillery│Notte.

The distillery is located near Niseko Ikoino Yuyado Iroha.
We will introduce you to the Niseko Distillery, a whiskey and gin distillery that opened in 2021.

1 Distillery nestled in nature
2 How Whiskey is made
3 Enjoy the specialties at the bar & store
4 Facility Overview
5 Access from Niseko Iroha

Distillery nestled in nature

This is the Niseko Distillery.
It has a stylish appearance with a large triangular roof.

Let’s go inside right away.

As soon as you enter, you will see a huge pot still.
The inside of the distillery has a high ceiling and is a very open space.
Sunlight pours in from outside, creating a warm atmosphere.

There are two main reasons why the distillery was built here.
One is that the underground water from Annupuri, which flows through this area, is soft.
The other reason is that the climate, water, and forest environment were all conducive to the storage of whiskey.

How Whiskey is made

Mr. Hayashi, manager of the Niseko Distillery, showed us around the distillery as well as the whiskey production process.

(1) Malting and saccharification

Barley is germinated and dried to malt, and the malted barley is filtered to obtain wort.

Three different types of malt of varying coarseness are blended and filtered.

(2) Fermentation

The wort is combined with whiskey yeast in a fermentation tank and fermented.

Some fermenters are made of stainless steel, but wooden fermenters are said to produce whisky with a complex and deep flavor due to the active lactic acid bacteria.

(3) Distillation

After fermentation, it is time for distillation.

I heard that the taste also changes with the angle of the arm and at the beginning and end of distillation. It is very deep.

(4) Matured

It takes at least three years before the distilled whisky can be shipped as Japanese whisky.
It is said to take 10 to 30 years to reach its full potential.

We were also shown the cellar where the whiskies are waiting to be drunk.

As soon as you enter the cellar, you can smell the whiskey.

One third of the whiskey in a cask evaporates after 10 years, and after 20 years it is reduced to half its original volume.
They call this evaporation “angel’s share”, which is a nice name for it!

This storage facility is expected to hold approximately 500 barrels.
We can’t wait to start drinking Niseko whiskey!

Niseko Distillery offers tours to introduce the whisky and gin making process.
Reservations are required in advance, so please make a reservation through the official website (click here).

Enjoy the specialties at the bar & store

The Niseko Distillery has a bar and store for casual enjoyment.
Non-alcoholic cocktails are also available at the bar, so those who cannot drink alcohol are not required to worry.

We also received a gin made at the Niseko Distillery.
The limited edition gin, made with lavender from Niseko Town, has a relaxing lavender aroma as soon as it is poured.

The store offers a wide selection of sake and other alcoholic beverages, food products, and other artisanal products from all over Japan.

After touring the distillery and having a drink at the bar, we relax on the terrace in the breeze.
It feels so luxurious with a fresh breeze blowing and the sound of whispering insects.
I hope you too will experience this comforting feeling.

Facility Overview

Name	Niseko Distillery
Address	478-15 Niseko, Niseko-cho, Abuta-gun, Hokkaido 048-1511
Phone number	0136-55-7477
Admission	free
Reservation	No reservation required *Only tours require advance reservations (click here).
HP	https://niseko-distillery.com/
Nearest Bus Stop	5 minutes walk from “Niseko Ikoino Yuyado Iroha”
How to get there	High Speed Niseko (no reservation required) [From Sapporo Station] From “Sapporo Station Terminal” (Bus Stop #1) [From Odori] From “Tokeidai Mae” (Bus Stop #1, in front of Sapporo City Hall on Kita 1-jo Dori)