Kamui’s Big June: TV Spotlights, Festival Fireworks, and a Gold Medal Win
From National TV to Kamui's Festival Fireworks: And Why Our Judges Might Be Secretly Smarter Than Yours
Hey, I’m Casey. Welcome to our newsletter, sharing the startup journey of Kamui Whisky K.K. We’ve been busy, but when we aren’t overwhelmed, we’ll share a story as we craft up our whisky distillery on a remote, frozen, volcanic island in the most northern part of Japan.
A TV Special
24:00 (midnight) on Thursday, June 12th on BS Fuji.
This isn’t just a fleeting news clip—this is a full episode on Whiskipedia, BS Fuji’s cult whisky documentary series. National TV. The real deal. For a small, volcanic distillery perched on the edge of Japan, it’s nothing short of seismic.
If you haven’t seen it, Whiskipedia isn’t your typical documentary series. They dig into the hidden corners of the whisky world, finding distilleries that do things differently for a reason; the kind of places where the whisky tastes like the place itself.
Why whisky? Why Rishiri?
They spent real time with us1. Watched us distill. Checked out our casks. Saw how the island shapes everything, from the water we use to make our whisky, to the way we’ve learned to work with the wind, not against it. They felt the salty air, met the crew, and saw what it takes to keep things running out here, season after season.
We’ve never shared this much of our story before.
It airs at 24:00 (midnight) on Thursday, June 12th on BS Fuji. If you’re not in Japan — or just not up that late — you’ll be able to stream it here after the broadcast.
Let us know what you think if you catch it.
It’s one of a few big moments for us this month. Some more below.
The 3rd Annual Kamui Whisky K.K. Festival
On Saturday, June 28th we’ll host the 3rd annual Kamui Festival, right here at our distillery.
It’s a day we look forward to all year. The whole community comes out: kids running wild, parents catching up, and cars parked up and down the coast road. We’ll have the usual lineup: local Rishiri food and drink vendors, the bounce house2 for the kids, Kamui Genshu to drink and - if you’re quick - to buy. And yes, the fireworks are back.
There’s a 3km fun run in the afternoon. One coin3 to join, drink ticket at the finish. Costumes? Strongly encouraged.
We’re also hosting our annual Kamui Coastal Cleanup4 on Sunday morning. We’ll be out on the shoreline picking up whatever the party or tide left behind. If you’ve got any energy left, we’d love your help. It’s our way of saying thanks to the island that gives us everything.
If you’re a whisky geek, (or just curious), there’s a distillery tour on Friday afternoon.
The bar will be stocked, Kamui Genshu cocktails are making their debut, and there will be non-alcoholic options, too.
See you at the festival!
Kamui Genshu Wins Gold at the IWSC
Last week, we got big news: Kamui Genshu took home Gold—95 points— at the International Wine and Spirit Competition.
This was our 2024 vintage.
The IWSC is one of the top global spirits competitions. Thousands of bottles. Double-blind tastings. Judges who can spot greatness from a mile away.
Less than 10% of entries make it to gold. Scoring 95? That means Kamui Genshu didn’t just hold its own, it stood shoulder to shoulder with the best whiskies in the world.
Here’s how the judges described it:
“The aroma opens with fresh citrus and delicate florals. On the palate, it reveals a rich, rounded texture with intriguing flickers of sweetness and dry warmth. The finish is complex, showcasing lovely cereal notes alongside a subtle essence of jasmine.”
We loved the judges’ comment. Javier’s initial thought? It had to be a woman’s refined palate that picked up on the “subtle essence of jasmine.” We’ve found that chefs, women, and those with a broader, trained palate, a bit beyond the typical whisky crowd, tend to appreciate the depth of our whisky more than others.
And indeed, as we checked the judging, 3 out of 5 of the judges who reviewed Kamui Genshu were women:
60% of our reviewers being women is fantastic 👏🏽. That probably has a lot to do with why we got Gold. In Tokyo, the judges are overwhelmingly men, and we tend to peak at a Bronze for our Genshu.
What does it takes to win a medal at IWSC?
Some of the things that made us a Gold:
"against the best in the world"
"gold is best of the best"
"liquid that makes you smile"
"almost faultless"
"it's really bloody hard to do"
What got us here? It’s a lot like what’s at the heart of this quote:
Many people, “sloganeer vaguely about “being the best” or “reaching new heights,” but succeeding, at customer service or anything else, is mostly a matter of attending to a shocking number of minute details.”
Michael Lewis, “Who is Government?”; Casey Cep, “The Sentinel”
Other than Javier’s artistic genius it was his, and the team’s obsession with “attending to a shocking number of minute details.” Over and over.
What’s in the glass— and what’s behind it.
Winning gold at the IWSC isn’t just a pat on the back. It means you’re up there with the best of the best, the kind of whisky that makes people stop, smile, and go back for another round. And honestly, pulling that off is really, really tough.
Kamui was just an idea that wouldn’t let go after my first trip to Rishiri. Since then, we’ve had our share of “learning experiences”: brutal weather, burst pipes, a long, weird battle with wastewater that nobody warned us about, and more than a few nights wondering if we’d ever get a bottle out the door.
Each drop of Genshu is proof of our team’s grit: grain hauled through snowdrifts, barrels rolled by hand, and a crew that’s maybe more stubborn than a Rishiri winter. We’re not a big operation. It’s Kohei keeping the wheels turning, Javier making sure every cut is just right, and a community that’s cheered us on even when things got rough.
This medal is for Rishiri.
For everyone who’s tasted, shared, or just believed in what we’ve built out here.
We’re still early in our story. But we’re taking a moment to celebrate this win. We’ll be celebrating big at our festival on June 28th.
Join us.
We had a smaller segment in an earlier Whiskipedia episode. You can see that here:
Bounce houses at whisky festivals: statistically proven to increase both child and adult happiness by 87%. For a deep dive into the science of bouncy castles (and the world’s largest inflatable obstacle course), see: https://www.intelligentliving.co/science-bouncy-castles-how-they-work-fun/
500 yen. Collected entry fees go to a local charity.
Fun fact: Collectibles are often found. If you’re into 1950’s - 1970’s liquor bottles from Russia. Or sometimes Korea (north or south? Don’t know!)