A single cask will be released from Akkeshi Distillery. A limited edition of 252 bottles will be tasted in collaboration with a major Dutch liquor distributor.
Private bottles sold by the Akkeshi Distillery are usually also released after blending as “single malt”. However, this time, as a “Single Cask”, you can enjoy the matured original spirit of the Akkeshi Distillery as it is.
This bottle was released as a collaboration product between SALUDE SPIRITS of the Netherlands and CLAUDE WHISKY.
１．Product name and photo
Akkeshi Single Cask Nichiran Friendship Bottle CLAUDE WHISKY x SALUDE SPIRITS #2469 Sherry Butt Peated 50ppm
Akkeshi Single Cask Japan-Netherlands Friendship Bottle CLAUDE WHISKY x SALUDE SPIRITS #2469 Sherry Butt Peated 50ppm
２．Akkeshi Single Cask Nichiran Friendship Bottle CLAUDE WHISKY x SALUDE SPIRITS #2469 Sherry Butt Peated 50ppm Features
To celebrate this collaboration, we are honored to present the Claude X Salud Friendship Cask.This whisky is aged in sherry casks, which produces a complex, fruity, spicy aroma and a smooth, smoky flavor.This release is special because there are only 252 bottles of this limited edition worldwide.The label was co-created by both parties, with the upper portion reflecting the house style of Salud Spirits and the lower portion depicting the iconic stone facade of the Claude’s whisky Store in Japan.
Tasting Notes
Aroma |Creamy vanilla wafers, ripe citrus, dark chocolate, and salty notes of the sea.
Taste | A refreshing balance of orange, yellow, and green citrus sweetness and acidity, resulting in a lively and complex palate.
Aftertaste |Long, lingering finish with flavors of freshly ground pepper, the saltiness of soy sauce, the bitterness of cocoa, and ending with a light acidity.
Reference: Salud Spirits Japan-Dutch Friendship Bottle (*Link to an overseas site)
２-１．Tasting Notes
| fragrance | Salt crackers, fruit yogurt, iyokan, tiramisu, sea pits, pencils |
| flavor | Orange, lime, lemon, fresh sweet and sour not unlike sherry, salted grapefruit |
| aftertaste | Fresh acidity followed by peat and saltiness that lingers and smokes in the nostrils. |
２-２．Product Specs
| alcohol content (usu. expressed per cent) | 58% |
| distinction by alcohol | single cask whisky |
| wine-jar | sherry bat |
| quantity of content | 700ml |
| Number of units sold | ー |
| Release Date | April 2025 |
３．Awards
No awards have been received at this time.
４．Prices offered at BAR Shinkai
At “BAR Shinkai” operated by this site, one glass is offered at 45ml: 9,240 yen, 30ml: 6,160 yen, and 15ml: 3,080 yen.
５．Manufacturer
Kenten Jitsugyo Co.
| Establishment | 1982 |
| Location of the Agency | Imperial Hotel Tokyo, 1-1-1 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0011, Japan |
| all vapor depots | Akkeshi Distillery |
６．Distillery
Akkeshi Distillery
| location | 4-109-2 Miyazono, Akkeshi-cho, Akkeshi-gun, Hokkaido 088-1124, Japan |
| Let’s get started | October 2016 |
2015 Distillery construction begins
2016 Distillation begins in October
2017 Second maturation warehouse completed.
2018 February First product release as Akkeshi distillery.Third maturation warehouse completed.
2020 February First single malt whisky “sarorun kamuy” is released.
April Completion of the 4th cellar.
October: Released the first product in the Nijushisekki, “Single Malt Kanro“.
2021 New milling building is constructed (operation starts in 2022).
2023 Completion of the No. 5 milling facility in April.
The concept is “whisky that inherits the traditional Scottish process, but with a flavor unique to Akkeshi.
We believe that the deep sea air fog, clean air, and abundant peat of Akkeshi, Hokkaido, will create the unknown flavor of Japanese whisky that we are looking for.We believe that the climate of Akkeshi in Hokkaido will create the unknown flavor of Japanese whisky that we are looking for, and started distilling in 2016.
We will continue to hone our skills here in order to make the most of the “terroir” of Hokkaido and the land of Akkeshi in our whisky making, and at the same time, we will continue to work more deeply with the people and nature of the land.Barley and Quercus crispula grown in the land of Hokkaido, the beautiful water of Akkeshi, and peat containing abundant minerals.Our wish is to make everything from Hokkaido and deliver to the world a Japanese whisky that cannot be found anywhere else.Quote: Blender’s Attention Blender’s Attention [Akkeshi Distillery].
With a strong desire to “make whisky like Islay malt using the traditional Scottish process,” equipment was installed by Forsyth in Scotland. All construction was carried out by Forsyth craftsmen visiting Japan. The pot stills are straight-headed and onion-shaped, similar to those at some distilleries on Islay. Heating is by radiator system (indirect heating), and the attached condenser is of shell-and-tube type and the mash tun is of semi-reuter type.
All fermentation tanks (washback) are made of stainless steel, and the temperature is purposely not adjustable.The craftsman determines the timing of fermentation while letting nature take its course.
The ripening rooms are currently from the first to the fifth ripening room.The first is dunnage-type, and the second (next to the filling building) is currently used to store products prior to shipment.The third to fifth maturing warehouses are rack type, and are located on a hill overlooking Akkeshi Bay, where “sea fog” with the scent of the sea envelops the entire town of Akkeshi and deepens the maturation of the malt, which is expected to have a positive effect on the characteristics of the whisky.
In addition to bourbon and sherry, the casks used for aging are hard to find.「Mizunara oak」Also used。In addition, we are challenging all possibilities, such as matching with wine and rum barrels.
In addition, the barley used to make whisky is grown in Akkeshi, and everything is produced in Akkeshi, including the peat and wooden casks used for aging, with the aim of creating an “Akkeshi All-Star” whisky in the future.In August 2021, a new initiative was started to experimentally age the sake distilled at the Akkeshi distillery in Furano.What kind of changes will the original sake matured in Furano bring about?This is exactly what terroir is all about, taking advantage of the great individuality of “Hokkaido” as well as the locality of Akkeshi.The idea of “terroir,” which wine connoisseurs have probably heard a lot about, has been incorporated into whisky, and the whisky making process that fuses the “individuality of Akkeshi” with the “individuality of Hokkaido” and makes use of the terroir of these lands is fascinating and the expectations are infinite.
Lake Akkeshi and Bekanbeushi Marsh around Akkeshi Town are registered wetlands under the Ramsar Convention.The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, adopted in Ramsar, Iran, on February 2, 1971, aims to promote the conservation and wise use of wetlands as habitats for waterfowl and other wildlife under international cooperation.
We, too, aim to be a distillery that preserves and coexists with this rich natural environment.
The intake of the tap water used for whisky is the Homakai River, upstream of the Oboro River, which runs near the distillery.The surrounding area is a marshland and a habitat for baikamo, which is said to live only in clear water.The small white flowers that bloom in the summer months symbolize abundant water.This water nurtures the whisky of Akkeshi.
quotation element：Akkeshi Vaporizers Formula HP
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For information on the Akkeshi Distillery, please see also here↓.
７．Summary
Aged in a very rare Akkeshi single cask sherry butt.
Why is it so complex for a single cask?The aroma is certainly recognizable with nuances derived from the Akkeshi sherry, but strangely enough, the lively acidity makes it even more complex on the palate.Adding water opens up the peat and sweetness at once, and we would like you to drink it slowly, in a variety of ways.
Speaking of peated sherry cask aged Akkeshi, it is also used as the main raw material for the Twenty-Nijushisekki.
Its suppin flavor is so soft and somewhat feminine to this point, yet it is a wonderful whisky with a solidly aged, peated, and accompanied by the citrus and saltiness characteristic of Akkeshi.
■Please also see other articles about “Akkeshi Distillery and Akkeshi Whisky”.
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.
