SAITAMA — A whiskey brand once destined to be discarded due to the financial hardships faced by a local distillery in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, has recently been gaining popularity overseas because of its quality and distinctive taste.
Ichiro's Malt, a series of products named after Ichiro Akuto, the 44-year-old president of Venture Whisky, has earned top ratings from Whisky Magazine, a prestigious British publication, and has also grabbed top prize for Japanese whiskey at the World Whisky Award hosted by the magazine for three straight years from 2007.
"I'll continue to make whiskey to a high standard without any compromise," said Akuto. But the road to his recent success has been a rocky one indeed.