Karuizawa Distillery was founded in 1955 and is located in the hills of Asama Mountain, an active volcano. The scale of the distillery is quite small. The production process also deliberately maintains the traditional production method in order to produce the highest quality whisky. Karuizawa Distillery insists on using 100% golden barley, Oregon pine fermentation tank, small tank distiller, and using Spanish Shirley barrels  to age Karuizawa's whiskey. The flavor of Karuizawa whisky is also the closest Japanese whisky to Scotch malt whisky, but at the same time it can retain its own unique flavor characteristics. Karuizawa's whisky won the  first gold medal in the World Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC).