The Kuju Distillery, in Taketata-shi, marks the return of whisky distillation to Oita prefecture since Nikka Whisky’s Kyushu Factory closed in 1999. Located in the centre of Kyushu, at an altitude of about 600m, it is surrounded by a cool climate and the magnificent nature at the foothills of Kuju mountain. The man behind the Kuju Distillery is Shoji Utoda, a name that may be familiar to anyone that’s been to Fukuoka Whisky Talk, the oldest and largest whisky event in Kyushu, Utoda-san is the founder and organiser of this annual event. In 2018, Utoda-san acquired the site of a more than one-hundred-year-old sake brewery that had lain dormant for 30 years. Here the groundwater level is high and pure spring water abounds from the adjacent Kuju national park. Utoda-san has been honing his skills under the auspices of Ichiro Akuto at the Chichibu Distillery since 2017 in preparation of overseeing the Kuju distillery operation.

The pot stills of Kuju Distillery were manufactured by Forsyth in Scotland, the first has a 2500 litre reservoir and the second 1800 litres. The stills are heated via indirect steam and cooled by a shell and tube condenser using groundwater from an onsite well. Fermentation take place over five days in four 2500 litre wood washback’s that were hand crafted by a Japanese cooper and are made from sustainably sourced Douglas fir. Whisky is matured in their onsite barrelhouse in a variety of casks and include Bourbon, sherry, wine, rum, Armagnac, Calvados, as well as barrels made from domestic timber such as Sakura (Cherry Blossom) and Mizunara (Japanese Oak).