Sasanokawa, maker of Cherry Whisky, is actually a significant name in the development of whisky culture in Japan. It is an old sake and shochu house, dating back to 1765, that started making whisky in 1946, and in the process, building themselves into quite a force in the postwar whisky market in northeast Japan, prominent enough to rival Nikka or Suntory in the region.
The Sasanokawa distillery is based in Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture, which is inland from the main tsunami-hit areas and about 40 miles from the stricken Fukushima Number 1 nuclear plant. Nevertheless, it did suffer significantly including damage to a storage tank, warehouses, a chimney, plumbing and stocks.
The XXV brand was launched in the 1980s by Yamazakura, a company belonging to Sasanokawa.
Whisky fans wanting to do their bit for quake and nuclear accident-hit Fukushima prefecture could do worse than invest in a bottle or two of this excellent whisky.