Shizuoka is an exciting up-and-coming distillery in Japan. It was founded in 2016 by Taiko Nakamura, president of Scotch whisky importer Gaia Flow. The distillery was all the buzz when they announced they salvaged the distilling equipment from the legendary closed Karuizawa distillery. Only one of the three Karuizawa stills could be used since the others were in too poor a condition, and so Shizuoka had a new pair made by Forsyths in Scotland. The distillery produces two unique types of new make spirit (known as K and W) by using wood-fired heating for the wash still, while the old Karuizawa still and the new spirit still are steam heated. Shizuoka Contact S is made by blending these two spirits together. The steam-heated K brings fruity aromas and a light flavour, while the wood-fired W gives a heavier taste and a long finish. The whisky aged for 3 years predominantly in first-fill bourbon casks and was bottled in 2021 at 55.5%.
Shizuoka Contact S
