KAZE Founder’s Reserve LEGACY – Official Launch Announcement

Tenkyo Distillery honours the legacy of late founder Shunsuke Koike with the launch of KAZE Founder’s Reserve LEGACY — a unique blend matured and bottled in Aizu, uniting Scottish spirit with Japanese craftsmanship.

A wind that never fades — a memory that lives on in every drop.

Tenkyo Co., Ltd. (Tenkyo Distillery), located in Bandai Town, Aizu, Japan, is delighted to announce the release of KAZE Founder’s Reserve LEGACY, available from 6th July 2025.

This product originates from maturation trials undertaken by the late founder, Shunsuke Koike, in Aizu prior to the construction of the distillery. By bringing new make spirit from Scotland together with the natural environment of Aizu, and after repeated experimentation with 189 carefully selected casks, this unique blended whisky was born.

The result is a whisky born from the meeting of “winds” – the wind of Scotland, the wind of Aizu, and the spirit of Shunsuke Koike – united to create a profile unlike anything imagined. This character is carried forward through a unique solera system, allowing the whisky to continue evolving, much like an ever-blowing wind.

Thank you very much for your kind attention and support.

Note to editors

“KAZE” (風), pronounced kah-zeh [ˈka̠.ze̞], means “wind” in Japanese. ● KAZE Founder’s Reserve LEGACY is currently available exclusively in Japan at this time.

KAZE Founder’s Reserve LEGACY 700ml

KAZE Founder’s Reserve LEGACY is a blended whisky matured, blended, and bottled at the foot of Mt. Bandai in Aizu, Japan. Crafted using a bespoke solera system*, each release will carry forward the legacy of 189 casks – filled with Scottish new make spirit (both malt and grain) personally selected by the late founder, Shunsuke Koike.

Neither Scotch whisky nor Japanese whisky. Born in Scotland, raised in Aizu, Japan. A fusion of culture and terroir, connected by EN (縁).

The 189 casks were laid down as part of a bold maturation project while Tenkyo Distillery was still under construction. With 58 different cask types, it was a visionary exploration of oak, spirit, and future possibility.

The KAZE Founder’s Reserve solera system draws directly from these original casks, ensuring his memory lives on in every drop. The first expression is named LEGACY – a quiet tribute to his enduring vision.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Amber

Nose: Raisins, figs, white chocolate, brown sugar, wrapped in gentle spices and a touch of smokiness

Palate: Toffee, nuts, almonds, meet juicy apricots, combined with a gentle smokiness to create depth and complexity

Finish: Subtle bitterness and cigar-like notes balance with a warming sweetness, leaving a pleasant and long lasting finish

Volume: 700ml ABV**: 46.9% Suggested retail price: ¥8,250 (tax included) Release date: Sunday, 6th July 2025

For further information or media inquiries, please contact:

Tenkyo Distillery – PR Department (Attn: Sasaki)

TEL: +81 (0)242-73-2411

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.tenkyo.jp

Discover more about the “KAZE” brand on our dedicated website:

*Solera System: Inspired by the traditional solera method used in the aging of Spanish sherry, this unique system classifies the founder’s original whiskies by flavour profile and type – malt and grain. New, fully matured whiskies are then carefully added to each group, creating a continuous blending process. This approach allows the founder’s original spirit to be perpetually carried forward, ensuring that his legacy lives on in every future drop.

**ABV: Mt. Akahani, one of the three peaks of Mt. Bandai in Aizu, rises to 1,430 metres (4,690 ft). The bottling strength is a subtle tribute to Mt. Akahani.

Tags: KAZE Founder's Reserve LEGACYLaunch AnnouncementTenkyo Distillery

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My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.