How do the pot still size and design of Karuizawa differ from those of Yamazaki and Yoichi distilleries?

You've hit on a great question! The stills at these three distilleries truly embody their unique characters. Let's not get bogged down in technical parameters; instead, imagine them as three chefs with distinct styles, each using different cooking pots, naturally resulting in dishes (whiskies) with vastly different flavors.

1. Karuizawa: The Stubborn, Petite Artisan

• Still Characteristics: Small, short, stout. Imagine a sturdy, small copper pot.
• Design Philosophy: Karuizawa's stills are very small and use direct-fired heating (meaning the bottom of the pot is heated directly by fire, not steam). This "small pot + intense heat" combination is like an old-school chef stir-frying in a small iron wok.
• Resulting Flavors:
  • Rich and Heavy: Because the pot is small, there's limited space for the spirit vapor to rise and reflux. Many flavor compounds (both desirable and undesirable) are carried directly into the final product, resulting in a very full-bodied, oily, and robust whisky.
  • Powerful: Direct-fired heating tends to create caramelization reactions at the bottom of the still, imparting a unique, somewhat toasted bread or charred aroma to the whisky, giving it a more assertive character.

In a nutshell: Karuizawa uses a "small but refined" setup, aiming to produce uncompromising, rich, and heavy, 'tough guy' style whiskies.

2. Yamazaki: The Versatile 'Kitchen' Manager

• Still Characteristics: Tall, short, fat, thin – all shapes and sizes, practically a "still museum."
• Design Philosophy: Yamazaki's goal isn't to make just one style of whisky, but to create a "symphony," pursuing complexity, harmony, and variety. So, they've gone against the grain, housing various stills of different shapes and sizes within one distillery.
• Resulting Flavors:
  • Diversity: In tall, slender stills, the spirit vapor has to climb a long "mountain path," causing heavier flavor compounds to fall behind, resulting in light, elegant, floral, and fruity whiskies. In contrast, short, stout stills offer a shorter path, yielding heavier, richer whiskies.
  • Ultimate Blending Artistry: With such a variety of new-make spirits, the blenders are like chefs with access to all the world's spices, free to create and blend whiskies with incredibly rich layers of flavor. This is why Yamazaki whiskies taste so complex and have such a lingering finish.

In a nutshell: Yamazaki's stills operate like a "combined army," with every 'troop type' available, all to create infinite possibilities and ultimate complexity.

3. Yoichi: The Traditional Scottish Tough Guy

• Still Characteristics: Traditional Scottish pot stills, onion-shaped, quite robust, and featuring the now very rare coal-fired direct heating.
• Design Philosophy: Founder Masataka Taketsuru returned from Scotland with the goal of replicating the most traditional, hardcore Scottish whisky in Japan. Yoichi's location, equipment – everything is modeled after Scotland.
• Resulting Flavors:
  • Powerful and Robust: Similar to Karuizawa, the robust shape of the stills retains more heavy flavors.
  • Unique Smoky and Charred Notes: The key lies in "coal-fired direct heating." This heating method is very difficult to control, with uneven heat distribution, but it imparts a unique, subtle smokiness from the burning coal and a very robust charred flavor to the whisky. This intensity cannot be replicated by modern steam heating technology. When you drink Yoichi, you always feel a powerful, rugged, even slightly salty sea breeze-like strength.

In a nutshell: Yoichi is the "retro faction," using the most traditional, "thankless" methods to create powerful whiskies with the truest Scottish soul.

So, in simple terms:

• Karuizawa: Like a private chef stir-frying in a small wok, pursuing ultimate richness and individuality.
• Yamazaki: Like a Michelin-starred kitchen with a full array of top-tier equipment, pursuing infinite flavor possibilities and harmony.
• Yoichi: Like a BBQ artisan insisting on charcoal grilling, pursuing the most primal, powerful traditional flavors.

Next time you taste whiskies from these distilleries, you'll be able to appreciate the unique "pot character" imparted by their stills!