Shibui Pure Malt Whisky

Fairly new to the US market, just released in 2020, Shibui is a new Japanese whisky brand. They are very upfront with not being a distillery but partnering with multiple distilleries and blenders. Founded by three friends, the Saratoga Whiskey Club was fortunate enough to have a fantastic seminar with Nicholas Pollacchi,  one of the founders in March 2021.

Shibui means timeless or old school. There are two ranges, Niigata and Okinawa, both named after regions from where the whiskies are sourced from. The Niigata range consists of three world blends which means it has Japanese Whisky and most likely, Scotch whisky. These whiskies are made out of either wheat or malted barley. The Okinawa range includes six whiskies all fully produced and matured in Japan. They are all also made out of rice and use Koji for fermentation. Some of the whiskies in this range are over 15 years old and extremely rare.