Thematic Nine Leaves
Nine Leaves tells us above all the story of a man, Yoshiharu Takeuchi, who transformed an unconditional passion for detail into a work of liquid art. In every drop of each of his rums lies Japanese precision, infinite patience, and profound poetry. In just over a decade, Nine Leaves has succeeded in making its mark on the world of rum, proving that beyond a climate or a tradition, it is the hand and soul of man that contribute to the greatness of a spirit.
Nestled in the heart of Japan, in Shiga Prefecture, the Nine Leaves Distillery was for nearly a decade one of the most unique distilleries of its time. Founded in 2013 by Yoshiharu Takeuchi, this micro-distillery has, from the very beginning, embodied the fusion of Japanese rigor, attention to detail, and a passion for authentic spirits. Yoshiharu's ambition could not be clearer: to produce an exceptional, 100% Japanese rum using local ingredients, drawing inspiration from Japanese sake and whisky culture, where precision and patience are cardinal virtues.
Given this understanding, what's the point of trying to reproduce a Caribbean rum substitute? Yoshiharu wants to create a unique and new expression of this spirit, often associated with warmth and exoticism. Defending an approach to rum based on a quest for balance between nature and technique, tradition and innovation, it took him two years to set up his distillery... Self-taught and completely independent, our man pays (almost) unhealthy attention to every detail: he sets up on the shore of Lake Biwa, which provides him with exceptionally pure groundwater (near Ishiyama Mountain), and decides to use a unique and local raw material: unrefined brown sugar, known as kokutō, also called black sugar due to its malty and slightly salty taste. He obtains this sugar from a producer on Tarama-jima (below), a tiny island located between Miyako and Ishigaki in the Okinawa archipelago.
For fermentation, Yoshiharu decided to use a special strain of yeast, rarely used for rum production, and inoculated small vats for a period of four days. On the distillation side, our man once again left nothing to chance: after undergoing intensive training with Ichiro Akuto of the Chichibu distillery, he ordered pot stills from the Scottish brand Forsyth's. Two custom-made machines with different shapes that were directly inspired by two whisky distilleries: Chichibu and Glenmorangie. He thus distills his rum twice, with a very meticulous second pass to extract the quintessence of the aromas.
And where tropical distilleries rely on heat and humidity, Nine Leaves exploits the Japanese seasons to age its eaux-de-vie. Their contrasts (hot in summer, cold in winter) and their influences on aging give Nine Leaves rums a distinct identity, enhanced by an excessively humid environment and the choice of different oak species: American and French barrels, even wine casks (ex-Cabernet Sauvignon), Sherry PX, Oloroso, and even spirits casks (including Armagnac). And because the gentleman is a stickler for detail, each bottle produced is numbered by hand and sold in relatively small quantities.
He will bottle a white rum (Nine Leaves Clear), reduced to 50%, with the rest of his production being aged for releases of rums of varying ages, which we invite you to discover on our website. In addition to the official bottlings, Nine Leaves will be offering a few one-shots for companies such as Velier, Bar Lamp and Rum Club Berlin.
And just as Yoshiharu begins to find his stride, his family obligations catch up with him. Having previously juggled his distillery with a job in the family auto parts business, he must now devote himself entirely to the latter. At the end of 2023, after the very last distillation of Nine Leaves, he finally closes the business. He will sell his entire stock to his friend Luca Gargano and his company Velier to ensure the continuity of his work and maintain his legacy.
Velier will release a collection entitled "Unsun Karuta" to mark the occasion, paying homage to a traditional Japanese card game. Each label will reveal a new card from the deck, and a new, final rum from the late Nine Leaves...
Did you know? The name "Nine Leaves" is directly inspired by its founder's family crest, represented by nine bamboo leaves, which symbolize natural perfection and harmonious growth. Nine leaves represent the nine virtues that Takeuchi wishes to instill in his work: patience, purity, passion, precision, perseverance, progress, poetry, sharing, and perfection.
