There’s never a dull moment at Karuizawa Distillers. The fledgling drinks group has barely taken a breath since it opened the much-vaunted Komoro Distillery to the public in July 2023. That momentous milestone came just a month after the build was completed. Since then, co-founders Koji and Yoshie Shimaoka, along with co-founder, master distiller and blender Ian Chang and ‘whisky evangelist’ Eddie Ludlow, have doggedly pursued both innovation and excellence at the sleek, eco-driven distillery.
No stone has been left unturned in honing the Komoro new-make spirit. Guests have flooded through the distillery doors, snapping up tickets for cocktail masterclasses, food-pairing sessions and even live music. The on-site Whisky Academy is in full swing with sessions for novices and connoisseurs alike. But, as Koji Shimaoka promised when Komoro was announced, the company is just getting started.
I caught up with the team in early June, shortly before a big announcement. I could tell from the way they spoke that day that something seismic was coming. I tried to persuade them to tell me more but they were adamant that I had to wait, along with the rest of the world. And the news was worth waiting for: Karuizawa Distillers is to open a new, sister single-malt distillery to Komoro, around 1,300km to the north, in Furano, Hokkaido.
‘We are committed to making the most of the region’s natural blessings and cultural richness, whilst pursuing excellence in both whisky-making and the guest experience,’ Koji said at the launch announcement. Known for its lavender fields and ski resorts, Furano is already high on the travel bucket lists of tourists. With hospitality running through Komoro’s veins, it makes sense that Karuizawa Distillers’ second distillery would also focus in on the visitor experience. The philosophy even resonates through the new distillery’s name: ‘Furaliss’ combines the native city with the English word ‘bliss’.
What else do we know? Renders suggest Furaliss will literally reflect the beauty of its surrounds with a glass-clad stillhouse. Wood will bring a natural feel, while the gleaming pot stills will be visible from outside. The project, developed in partnership with Seibu Group and Furano City itself, will be completed in 2028 with spirit flowing shortly after. It’s a tight schedule but given what the team has already achieved at Komoro, it feels feasible.
A world-class team
The key element for Furaliss is that it will be led by the same team as at Komoro. Chang, who has worked for decades as a distiller and blender, most notably at Kavalan in Taiwan before Japan, will oversee every element of production. ‘My goal is not simply to create a place for whisky production but to build a symbol of growth, rooted in the land of Furano,’ he explained. ‘With deep respect for nature, I hope to offer both world-class whisky and unforgettable experiences here.’
It was Chang who instigated the remarkable attention to detail and meticulously granular production monitoring at Komoro. That’s enabled a huge amount of experimentation – and while Furaliss is understandably the headline news, the latest developments at the existing distillery are just as interesting.
‘Obsessed with quality’
By the end of 2023, the Komoro signature distillate style and the distillery character were shaping up nicely. Production was set in terms of yeast strains, fermentation times and cut points. Fast-forward to 2025 and the team is working at a rate of two mashes, six days a week.
‘From zero experience for everyone, now we’re very much on the right track,’ Chang says. He’s crafting an unpeated spirit for 11 months of the year and a peated (25ppm in the kiln, 2.5ppm in the glass) every December. There’s a huge enthusiasm for wood policy. Mizunara is currently front and centre, playing a big part in the core maturing stocks. ‘We try to get all kinds of casks for innovation and also for experimentation,’ he continues. ‘This includes a non-oak series.’
This is arguably where Komoro is really coming into its own. Free from the constraints of the Scotch technical file, the likes of sakura and chestnut wood are proving incredibly promising. ‘They’re turning out to be very decent and, flavour-wise, they are multi-layered and complex,’ Chang reports. ‘In the future, I think we can really push things in terms of casks.’ And they really are pushing: production is due to ramp up to seven days a week in 2026. ‘I’m very lucky that our colleagues are working very hard to maintain that consistency.’
What’s become clearer, more clear than ever, is that our obsession with quality and creating extraordinary experiences is paying off
For Koji, it’s the culmination of a lifelong dream. He always wanted Karuizawa Distillers to become a modern powerhouse in Japanese distilling. Not only is the business about to become a multi-site operator, but the quality of spirit at Komoro is astounding.
‘You know, the visitors that come are so happy,’ Koji says in taking a step back to consider the project as a whole. What, for him, has been the biggest win so far? ‘What’s become clearer, more clear than ever, is that our obsession with quality and creating extraordinary experiences is paying off,’ he muses. It’s the special team at the distillery that makes it all possible. ‘Those two things are the biggest accomplishments so far for us.’
What’s the secret? Like Chang, he comes back to the team and the collective commitment to excellence. Ludlow agrees. ‘Every day when I walk into that distillery I’m reminded of where we started from. And how all that hard work has paid off. These guys have done an incredible job of bringing Koji-san’s vision to life.’
