The Hanyu Distillery was founded in 1946 by Isouji Akuto. Hanyu stopped making whisky in 2000. Isouji Akuto's grandson, Ichiro Akuto, purchased the mature stock and distilling facilities, and restarted production at the Chichibu Distillery in 2008. This whisky was distilled in 1991 and bottled in 2009. This is a unique whisky - It was fully matured in Japanese Mizunara Oak (cask #369). Mizunara is quite porous (i.e. leaky); which is why Mizunara is typically only used for the heads. It's very rare to find a whisky which has been fully matured in a Mizunara cask. I tasted this incredible whisky (one of the best I've ever had) at Bar Brora (Sapporo JAPAN).