Saburomaru VII THE CHARIOT: A Revival from the Brink of Closure

2026.10.05

In short: Saburomaru Distillery in Toyama went from harsh reviews and silence to a celebrated revival under fifth-generation Takahiko Inagaki, with crowdfunding and the ZEMON cast-copper still. Its latest release, VII THE CHARIOT, is a super-heavily peated 80ppm whisky, now at our bar.

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The latest Saburomaru whisky, VII THE CHARIOT, has arrived!

Saburomaru Distillery’s “Before the Dawn”: An Era of Harsh Reviews and Silence

The story of Saburomaru Distillery began in 1952, but the voyage was far from smooth.

On top of a factory fire, its spirit was harshly criticised by experts, and a long slump followed in which it sold only about 140 bottles’ worth a year.

As a result, production was forced to stop during the 2000s at the latest, and Saburomaru entered a long era of silence.

From Defeat to Revival: The Return of the Fifth Generation and the Passion of Fans

With whisky production halted and its equipment ageing, Saburomaru was at one point on the brink of being shut down for good.

But in the 2010s, its story took a dramatic turn.

A Challenge Staked on “Starting from Zero”

The return of the fifth generation: 

Takahiko Inagaki, the fifth generation, who had been working at an IT company in Tokyo, returned to Toyama in 2015 and the following year, 2016, declared “the revival of whisky-making.”

Crowdfunding: 

To renew production equipment that was far from the whisky industry’s standards at the time, they raised 38 million yen through crowdfunding.

With 75% of that support coming from the local community, the rebuilding began amid passionate expectations.

Introducing ZEMON: 

After resuming production in July 2017, they continued renovations step by step. Then in 2019, they introduced “ZEMON,” the world’s first cast-copper pot still.

They kept renewing their equipment after that, investing thoroughly to improve quality.

This comeback drew so much attention at home and abroad that it later became one of the models for the anime film “Welcome to Komada Distillery.”

In November 2020 came “Saburomaru 0 THE FOOL,” the first single malt made with spirit distilled after the renovation.

Its label features “THE FOOL,” carrying their determination to “set out from zero.”

The Unyielding DNA Flowing Through the Latest Release, “CHARIOT”

The latest release, “CHARIOT,” is truly the crystallisation of an unyielding DNA: born after overcoming the era of harsh reviews, carrying the latest technology (ZEMON) and the expectations of fans across Japan.

In a single glass are the ambitions of the second-generation president, who never let his passion for whisky die out,

the history of the stored spirits that endured the slump, and all of the fifth generation’s “never-give-up challenge.”

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[CHARIOT Tasting Notes]

Nose:

Peat smoke with embers, ash and ferns rises up, followed by kanro-ame (Japanese soy-sugar candy), a little tree sap, menthol, orange peel, ripe red apple, conifer and ginger.

Palate:

Smooth on the palate, with powerful, ashy peat spreading out. The sweetness of kanro-ame harmonises with faint hints of apple and ginger. On the finish, peat smoke lingers as if wrapping the whole tongue.

Even more than the nose suggests, this bottle stands out for the thick peat smoke that coats the tongue on the palate.

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The Latest Passion, Delivered to Bar Little Happiness

At Little Happiness, we have also stocked this latest Saburomaru release, “CHARIOT,” at 48% (still in stock as of October 2026).

A Highland super-heavily peated whisky at 80ppm phenols, the strongest in Saburomaru’s history!

The story of Saburomaru, forging its way with craftsmanship and innovation.

Please come and taste it for yourself.

Every encounter is meant to be. Welcome to the world of Rum&Whisky.

Mika Tanimoto, Bar Little Happiness