NINE LEAVES Last Drops

Founded in 2013 by Yoshiharu Takeuchi in Otsu, Japan, the Nine Leaves distillery proudly bore the founder’s family coat of arms, featuring nine bamboo leaves. And indeed, this story is an intimate, personal one. After working with Ichiro Akuto, the founder of the Chichibu whisky distillery, Yoshiharu developed a passion for producing exceptional rums using the artisanal techniques traditionally reserved for Single Malt Whiskies. Yoshiharu managed every aspect of the distillery by himself, without exception. From fermenting to distilling, filling casks, moving barrels and labeling bottles, he handled it all unassisted. He chose to work alone, ensuring that Nine Leaves reflected his dedication and vision. From start to finish, the journey of Nine Leaves was the embodiment of one man’s unwavering commitment to his craft. At the end of 2023, after 10 years of operation, he made the difficult decision to close the distillery, choosing to sell the entire stock of aging rums and the final batch of white rum to La Maison & Velier. Though the reasons remain partly shrouded in mystery, one thing is clear: the legacy of Nine Leaves will live on, continuing to evolve, with the promise of exciting future releases. This first series of five bottlings is inspired by the traditional Japanese card game Unsun Karuta. New expressions are due for release in the coming years, with each label unveiling a new card in the collection. This expression, named Last Drops, was bottled using the last distillate produced at the distillery before it was definitely dismantled in 2023.