Ichiro Akuto is the grandson of the founder of the famous Hanyu distillery which ceased production in 2000. Ichiro managed to buy the remaining Hanyu whisky casks and released the whisky in a playing cards series, i.e. he released a whisky for every card in the deck including the 2 jokers - 54 releases in all. In 2008, Ichiro founded the Chichibu distillery nearby and his 'Ichiro’s Malt' series is typically a blend of old Hanyu and new Chichibu whisky.
The Mizunara Wood Reserve (MWR) is unique because it is a blend of malts that have been aged exclusively in Mizunara oak casks. It is bottled at €46% ABV.