Nagahama Distillery and Tohoku Bankokusha Joint Project “A Fragrance Co-Starring” Commemorating the 65th Anniversary of Tohoku Bankokusha’s Founding Two “Coffee Cask” Whiskys to be Released Simultaneously on January 20, 2026 (Tuesday)
The birth of a special single malt with the pleasant flavor of coffee, the ultimate “Marriage of aromas
Nagahama Romantic Beer Co., Ltd. (Nagahama-City, Shiga Prefecture), operator of Japan’s smallest whisky distillery “Nagahama Distillery,” will release its second collaborative product with Tohoku Bankokusha Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Yamagata-City, Yamagata Prefecture), a company dedicated to delivering fresh, aromatic coffee under the motto “Cherish moments of tranquility.” This limited-edition release will be available starting Tuesday, January 20, 2026.
1. Single Malt Nagahama Coffee Cask Non-peat Cask Strength Batch 3656
| Product name | Single Malt Nagahama Coffee Cask Non-peat Cask Strength Batch 3656 |
| Type of Alcohol | Single Malt Whisky |
| Cask Type | Bourbon cask (coffee barrel aged) |
| Alcohol content | 57.6% (of the total) |
| Number of bottles | 334 bottles |
| MSRP | 17,000 yen + tax |
Tasting comment
Color: Glossy dark amber
Aroma: Extremely intense espresso and dark chocolate aromas.
The sweet aromas of vanilla and caramel from the bourbon barrels are strongly integrated with the roasted aroma of deeply roasted coffee.
Taste: The bitterness of the deep roasted coffee dominates, followed by the creamy sweetness of the malt and aromas of toffee and maple.
The finish is long and warm, with persistent coffee bitterness and sweetness, while cacao nibs and other oak-derived spices round out the finish.
A unique and luxurious marriage reminiscent of the finest “barrel-aged” coffee.
2. Single Malt Nagahama Coffee Cask Peated Cask Strength Batch 3657
| Product Name | Single Malt Nagahama Coffee Cask Peated Cask Strength Batch 3657 |
| Type of Alcohol | Single Malt Whisky |
| Cask Type | Bourbon cask (coffee barrel aged) |
| Alcohol content | 55.9% (of the total) |
| Number of bottles | 376 bottles |
| MSRP | 17,000 yen + tax |
Tasting comment
Color: Deep and calm amber
Aroma: The strong roasted coffee aroma is followed by the gentle peat smoke of Nagahama malt. The aroma is complex and savory, like burnt sugar and bonfires.
Taste: Coffee bitterness with earthy peat nuances reminiscent of earth and ash. The mouthfeel is smooth, with a nice harmony of coffee, malt sweetness, and peat pungency.
The finish is very long, with a smoky peat aftertaste and coffee bitterness that persists deep into the hour.
The roasted aroma of coffee and smokiness combine to create a challenging and profound flavor.
To commemorate the milestone of the 65th anniversary of Tohoku Bankokusha’s founding, we brought together the technologies of both companies. This time, we took on the challenge of creating the ultimate “Aromatic Marriage” by using bourbon barrels roasted with coffee beans from Bankoku Coffee Company and post-aged Nagahama Whisky’s original Whisky. The result is a special single malt with the pleasant flavor of coffee. The peated and unpeated malt liquors from Nagahama Distillery were put into two types of bourbon casks, one with a mellow roasted aroma transferred from storing coffee beans, and the other was aged for about three months. The result is a luxurious fusion of the pleasant flavor of coffee and the deep malt aroma of Whisky.
＜Tohoku Bankokusha Co., Ltd.＞
Founded in 1960, Tohoku Bankokusha (Bankoku Coffee) is a roaster that has supported coffee culture in the Tohoku region for about 65 years. We started as a commercial wholesaler with our own roasting factory, and now we deliver coffee to a wide range of customers through our online store and directly managed cafes. For us, coffee is like a family member that is always by our side. We roast coffee with the hope of creating a space where people can relax and gather together. We aim to bring out the best of the ingredients by observing the changes that cannot be measured by numbers, such as the beans’ breathing, the sound of bursting, the color, and the aroma. While inheriting the roasting techniques that have been used since the company’s founding, we have also taken on new challenges, such as the development of barrel-aged coffee and coffee cultivation in Yamagata.In all aspects of production, roasting, and extraction, we will pursue what we can do for a “A delicious cup” and continue to bring the joy of coffee to those who love it and those who will encounter it in the future.
Quote: Official PRTIMES
Check out the official website.
3. About Nagahama Distillery
Nagahama Distillery
| Location | 14-1 Asahi-cho, Nagahama-City, Shiga Prefecture 526-0056 |
| Start of operation | November 1, 2016 |
Nagahama Distillery, one of the smallest distilleries in Japan, is located in the northern part of Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture and has both a craft beer brewery and a restaurant. Few distilleries, including major Whisky distilleries, have restaurants attached to them, and when it comes to craft Whisky distilleries, they are very rare.
The unique shape of the pot stills installed in the distillery reminds us of the very origin of Whisky making.
Nagahama Distillery was originally a rice warehouse from the Edo period (1603-1868), and began making beer in 1996. Later, in 2016, facilities for Whisky production were installed. The building has a vaulted ceiling, with a saccharification tank and distiller on the first floor, and a grinder and fermentation tank on the second floor.
There are two pot stills for first distillation and one for redistillation, and the heating system is an alambic type pot still shaped like an indirect steam gourd, a pot still often used for distilling brandy. Among Japanese craft distilleries, Nagahama Distillery is the only one currently using this alambic type pot still. One of the characteristics of this distillery is that it has the advantage of producing a clear, soft, and less cloying liquor.
Trial and error has been repeated between the establishment of the distillery and the present. Major changes include a change in the malt crush ratio and a change in fermentation time from 60 hours at the beginning to 72 hours now. Also, the number of distillers was increased from two to three. When the distillery was founded, the first distillation vessel had a capacity of 1,000 liters and the redistillation vessel had a capacity of 500 liters, but the redistillation vessel was also replaced, and all three distillation vessels are now 1,000 liters. Also, following the example of Scottish distilleries, the redistillation kettles are rarely cleaned. We have made many changes over the past four years since our founding.
We continue to make Whisky in the spirit of “one brew, one barrel.
Reference: Whisky｜Nagahama Romantic Beer
4. single malt Nagahama’s past works
Lastly: Recommended Books on Japanese Whisky
If you want to learn more about Japanese whisky, which is a global trend, we highly recommend these books.
(1).Whisky Galore Vol.29 December 2021 issue
In the December 2021 issue of Whisky Galore, published by the Whisky Culture Research Institute, we report on 11 Japanese craft distilleries, including some that are open to the public for the first time, under the title of “Japanese Whisky Craft Frontline,” the first of three consecutive issues. Why did the popularity of Japanese whisky and the craft boom occur? We will examine with interviews. Chichibu Distillery / Chichibu No.2 Distillery / Mars Shinshu Distillery / Mars Tsunuki Distillery / Kanosuke Distillery / Hioki Distillery / Ontake Distillery / Osuzuyama Distillery / Kaikyo Distillery / Hanyu Distillery / Konosu Distillery
(2). Japanese Whisky as an Education for Business
This is a book written by Mamoru Tsuchiya, a world-famous whisky critic and representative of the Whisky Culture Research Institute, titled “Japanese Whisky as a Culture that Works for Business” .
The book covers the basics of whisky, the introduction of whisky to Japan, the birth of Japanese whisky, advertising strategies and the rise of Japanese whisky, and the current rise of craft distilleries. This is a book that summarizes Japanese whisky in a very easy to understand way.
(3). Whisky and I (Masataka Taketsuru)
Masataka Taketsuru, the founder of Nikka Whisky, devoted his life to brewing whisky in Japan. This is a revised and reprinted version of the autobiography of a man who simply loved whisky and talked about himself. The book vividly depicts the days when he went to Scotland alone to study as a young man and overcame many hardships to complete Japanese whisky, as well as his companion, Rita.
(4). A Letter of Challenge from a New Generation Distillery
Launching in 2019. With the world experiencing an unprecedented whisky boom, what were the managers of craft distilleries thinking and what were their thoughts as they took on the challenge of making whisky? This book tells the stories of 13 craft distillery owners, including Ichiro Hido of Venture Whisky, famous for his Ichirose Malt, who inspired the birth of craft distilleries in Japan.
(5). Whiskey Rising
This is the Japanese version of Whisky Risng, published in the US in 2016, with much updated content. Not only does it describe the history of Japanese whisky in detail, but it also includes data on all the distilleries in Japan, including the craft distilleries that have been founded in recent years. The book also includes descriptions of the legendary bottles that have been released, as well as information on bars where Japanese whisky can be found.
