1. JAPANESE WHISKY GHOST DISTILLERY

 Some Japanese whisky producers claiming that they are distilleries are suspected of being a real distillery. Because some companies never disclose their distillation facility and the others never disclose even distillery address.

Ghost distillery fake Japanese whisky

1910 Matsui Shuzo

2018 Kurayoshi distillery

 They got whisky production license and released their 1st "Japanese" whisky bottle in 2015. They were selling very long aged Kurayosih brand (8-33 years) and Tottori brand (17-30 years). So many people suspected thier whisky is bottled import bulk whisky altough they were promoting "precious Japanese whisky" and there were some 

 After long controversy in internet, the president said that distillation is not everything of whisky and aging environment and diluting water are also key point. It means that thier whisky was made from import bulk whisky. He also said that he wish install pot still sooner or later.

 In fact, their 1st small hybrid pot still was installed in 2017 and full size pot still set was in 2018. They becamse real distillery and  relased thier 1st single malt in 2020.

1840 Akashi Shurui Jozo

2017 Kaikyo distillery

 Name of Kaikyo distillery is mentioned in lable of Hatozaki whisky however there are neither officieal website nor any other official info like address about this mysterious distillery.

 Akashi Shurui Jozo is different from Akashi by Eigashima Shuzo. They got whisky production license in 2017. Bottle label of Hatozaki whisky describes name of Akashi Shurui Jozo. 

 So Kaikyo distillery seems to be part of Akashi Shurui Jozo.

 Their whisky is only for export and mainly to USA and EU.

1997 Niigata Beer

2017 Shinobu distillery

 Niigata Beer is independent craft beer brewery founded in 1997. They declear 2 whisky distillery projects, one is in thier HQ and the other is in Sado island in same Niigata prefecture.
 They released thier 1st whisky "Shinobu" made by "Shinobu distillery" in 2019 but they don't have any pot still facility for distillation.

2018? Kiyokawa

2018? Kiyokawa distillery

 Kiyokawa seems to be startup company and they started to supply their whisky around 2018 only to abroad, mainly Russia. 

 Their Japanese website says that they are distillery but no more info like facility and address. They registerted Iiyama distillery in tax office in the end of 2019.