Saburomaru Whisky Distillery Tour Review(Toyama,Japan / Wakatsuru Shuzo)
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We went to visit Saburomaru Distillery (Wakatsuru Shuzo) in 2024.
When I first started drinking whisky I used to have things like Moon Glow, but I didn’t know there was a distillery in Toyama Prefecture.
This Saburomaru Distillery is a very historic distillery that began making sake in 1862 and started making whisky in 1952.
Here’s our visit report.
※For the latest information on English tours and whisky, please check the distillery’s official website.
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Access / Location
Despite being a distillery, it’s in a superb location — a 1-minute walk from Aburaden Station.
There aren’t many trains, but as long as you check the times, there’s no problem at all.
It’s about an hour from Kanazawa on the local line / about 20 minutes from Takaoka Station.
▲ Aburaden Station timetable
On the way back we went straight home to Osaka, so we went from Aburaden to Shin-Takaoka Station and took the Shinkansen home from Shin-Takaoka.
▲ When you get off at Aburaden Station, the distillery is right ahead on your right.
Exterior
Right at the entrance is the Taisho Warehouse building, which is where the reception and shop are.
The one on the left is the building with the restaurant, and back on the right is the distillery you’re shown around on the tour.
The Saburomaru mark is further back.
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The Tour
We booked the tour in advance from the website.
When we went, it was just barely free, but going forward there’s a charge.
Reference site: Saburomaru Distillery Tour Details (website)
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From the October 2023 booking period onward, the system above accepts bookings only for the “Guided Tour” (4,000 yen per person, tax included).
For the “Unguided Free Tour” (1,000 yen per person, tax included), it’s same-day reception.
※ From the website
After checking in, when it’s time, there’s a brief talk in the adjacent presentation venue, and then they show you around the distillery’s whisky-making site.
▲We went in early September, and inside the distillery it was hot!! No measures are needed beyond looking after your health, but go a little prepared, lol.
Partway through, the venue where you watch a video had air conditioning and was cool.
When we went, we could just happen to see the whisky being made.
Overall, the tour guide was a really interesting person, and it was a tour that gave us a good understanding of Saburomaru Distillery.
After the tour, you can do a tasting.
It used to be free, but now you do a gacha for 500 yen, get an ochoko (small cup), and taste.
You can drink the limited-edition whiskies, so it was a good reference for buying souvenirs too.
When we went, they happened to be holding a seminar for single-cask owners, so we even got to have the whisky meant for single-cask owners.
You can have a little of each. It’s not in the photos, but there’s sake too.
The Shop
Beyond the reception, next to the tasting corner, there’s a shop.
It’s not that big, but it had an abundant selection of Saburomaru Distillery-exclusive whiskies, goods, and more.
There were also whiskies other than Saburomaru Distillery’s.
As for glasses, there’s a very pricey one, which is apparently the distillery’s specially crafted glass.
After some agonizing, we went with the cheaper one. But this cheaper one is apparently going out of stock, so be quick!
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We Want to Eat Roast Beef at the Restaurant
The day we went happened to be a day with a single-cask owners’ event, so we couldn’t book the restaurant.
Their roast beef bowl is apparently delicious, and I’d definitely love to have it next time we go.
Do book this too before you go.
The Distillery-Exclusive Whiskies We Bought at the Shop
The souvenirs we bought at the shop were:
Distillery-exclusive whisky: 3,850 yen
The Bulk: 5,478 yen
Distillery set (boxed): 6,750 yen
Glass: 1,850 yen
Whisky cake: 2,130 yen
We bought the distillery set thinking it would make a good souvenir, as it comes with a small bottle.
We bought The Bulk after hearing an explanation from the distillery staff.
Being able to buy while listening to someone knowledgeable about whisky was fun too.
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Summary
The tour guide was really interesting, and it was a fun tour.
It’s not a very big distillery, but its charm was packed in tightly.
It’s close to the station too, so if you go to Toyama or Ishikawa, please do stop by.
Reference article: SAB. SUNSET RED Review [Red Sab] | A Bottle Very Much Like the Smoky Blended of Toyama’s Saburomaru Distillery