Long-lost Japanese £25k whisky on menu at Gordon Ramsay restaurant
If you head to Gordan Ramsay’s Lucky Cat in Soho, you’ll be in with a chance to sample a long-lost Japanese single malt whisky – if you’re happy to splash £25,000, that is.
Priced at £2,300 a dram, Shirakawa 1958 is Japan’s rarest whisky, and it’s now the most premium spirit offered at the new Asian-inspired eatery, Lucky Cat, which opened at 22 Bishopsgate, central London last year.
The Shirakawa Distillery was demolished in 2003 after operating for more than six decades. The site, located 200km north of Tokyo. Built in the Fukushima Prefecture, in 1939, the site crafted malt whisky from 1951 to 1969, with most of its spirits produced under owner Takara Shuzo’s flagship ‘King’ blended whisky brand.
Today, more than a decade since it was scrapped, Tomatin Distiller’s managing director Stephen Bremner is taking interest in the historic producer.
Historic discovery
After piecing together a trail of clues, he actually found stock of Shirakawa, the producer’s only official single malt, at Takara Shuzo’s Kurokabegura distillery in 2019.
The spirit had been distilled in 1958, aged in cask, then transferred to ceramic jars at the distillery. When Shirakawa shut down, the whisky was put into stainless steel tanks at Takara Shuzo’s factory in Kyushu where it had lain untouched until his discovery.
Now, it has also become the earliest known single vintage Japan whisky to ever be bottled.
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‘Wow’ moment
“When I discovered that the last remaining stock was distilled in 1958, I was astounded,” said Bremner. “It was a genuine ‘wow’ moment as I realised very quickly that what we were dealing with was extremely rare.
“Crafted in the early days of malt production in Japan, it has a distinctive flavour profile, with aromas of exotic incense giving way to grass and fruits before a hint of mint on the finish. It is truly extraordinary and conveys the evolving character of Japanese whisky, which is now acclaimed worldwide.”
Rare release
“We are incredibly honoured that Gordon Ramsay has selected Shirakawa 1958 as the pinnacle of his whisky menu at Lucky Cat. Diners who try it will be transported back to a pioneering era of Japanese whisky as they enjoy one of the rarest drams in the world,” he added.
While the age and cask type cannot be fully determined, Shirakawa 1958 was crafted at a time when the distillery used predominantly Japanese malted barley and Mizunara oak casks.
The expression, which has an ABV of 49%, was bottled by Takara Shuzo Co Ltd in Japan. Just 1,500 bottles were released in 2022 and distributed worldwide by Tomatin Distillery, with an RRP of £25,000 per 70cl bottle.
