Where does the main barley raw material used in Karuizawa come from?

Indeed, a key factor behind Karuizawa whisky's legendary status lies in its ingredients.

In fact, the main barley it used was not locally grown in Japan. Instead, at great expense, they specifically imported a variety called "Golden Promise" from Scotland.

You can think of "Golden Promise" as an "old-school aristocrat" among barley varieties. From the 1960s to the 1980s, it was a very popular and premium variety in the Scottish whisky industry, highly favored by many top distilleries (such as Macallan at the time). Whiskies made with this barley typically have a particularly full-bodied, oily texture, and a rich, sweet malty flavor.

However, due to its relatively low yield and high cultivation costs, this variety was gradually replaced by newer, higher-yielding varieties. Very few distilleries still insist on using "Golden Promise" today.

Therefore, Karuizawa's rich, complex, and captivating old-school style is largely attributable to its persistent use of this classic Scottish barley. For a Japanese distillery to do this in that era truly demonstrated significant ambition and courage.