# #79 Yumi Yoshikawa - Chichibu Distillery, Ichiro Akuto, Japanese Whisky, Mizunara Oak, Floor Malting, Scotch Whisky

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-curious-bartender-podcast-7114149/79-yumi-yoshikawa-chichibu-distillery-ichiro-akuto-japanese-whisky-mizunara-oak-floor-malting-scotch-whisky
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-curious-bartender-podcast-7114149/79-yumi-yoshikawa-chichibu-distillery-ichiro-akuto-japanese-whisky-mizunara-oak-floor-malting-scotch-whisky.md
Podcast: [The Curious Bartender Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-curious-bartender-podcast-7114149)
Published: 2026-05-25T06:31:44+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jay--tris/episodes/79-Yumi-Yoshikawa---Chichibu-Distillery--Ichiro-Akuto--Japanese-Whisky--Mizunara-Oak--Floor-Malting--Scotch-Whisky-e3jqof9
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/fdc0f064/podcast/play/120463273/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-4-24%2F424787135-44100-2-2dcf4285b8347.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-curious-bartender-podcast-7114149/episodes/79-yumi-yoshikawa-chichibu-distillery-ichiro-akuto-japanese-whisky-mizunara-oak-floor-malting-scotch-whisky
Duration seconds: 4929

## Resource

Yumi Yoshikawa is the global brand ambassador for Chichibu Distillery, the small operation in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, which has become the most celebrated whisky producer in the world. We map out the full picture: two malt distilleries in Chichibu and a brand-new grain distillery that started production in Hokkaido in January 2026, before going deep into what actually happens at Distillery I — the multi-origin barley programme, the floor malting Ichiro Akuto spent years visiting England to learn, the Mizunara oak washbacks and the lactic bacteria they bring to every fermentation, and the switch to direct fire at Distillery II that Ichiro always wanted but waited a decade to attempt. We discuss cask management and work through an extraordinary range of wood: bourbon, sherry, wine, cognac, rum, Madeira, port, IPA beer, tequila and the occasional grappa cask. We taste three whiskies together, including the first UK pour of the Distillery II single malt, an unreleased Double Distilleries blend, and a cask sample straight from the warehouse — seven years old, local Japanese barley, 59.4%, 100% Mizunara Oak — that has no right to taste as good as it does. We also cover Ichiro's story: 21 generations of brewing, the loss of Hanyu, the rescue of 400 casks and the two years he spent visiting 2,000 bars across Japan to build support for a distillery he hadn't yet opened. Yumi's own journey closes things out: a bartender who cycled around Scotland with her CV, worked at The Highlander Inn in Craigellachie alongside a young Tatsuya Minagawa, negotiated simultaneous seasons at both The Highlander and Bruichladdich, and joined Chichibu in 2013 With thanks to our sponsors: Fever-Tree Mixers for the best fizzy liquids going Belvedere for additive free, organic Polish vodka 🥃 Get 15…

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-curious-bartender-podcast-7114149/episodes/79-yumi-yoshikawa-chichibu-distillery-ichiro-akuto-japanese-whisky-mizunara-oak-floor-malting-scotch-whisky/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-curious-bartender-podcast-7114149/79-yumi-yoshikawa-chichibu-distillery-ichiro-akuto-japanese-whisky-mizunara-oak-floor-malting-scotch-whisky.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.