IPA” stands for India Pale Ale, a beer made with a large amount of hops, an ingredient in beer. The aroma and bitterness of hops are much stronger than those of ordinary beer, and the beer is characterized by a high alcohol content of 5.5% to 7.5%.
The whisky used to finish the empty casks used in the production of IPA is the ” Single Malt Komagatake IPA Cask Finish Bottled in 2024 ” introduced here.
Since the casks used to make IPA at the Minami-Shinshu Beer Komagatake Brewery, which is adjacent to the Komagatake Distillery, are used to make IPA, the quantity is limited every year and is very rare.
１. photo of the bottle and label
Single Malt Komagatake IPA Cask Finish Bottled in 2024
Features of Komagatake IPA Cask Finish 2024
Single Malt Komagatake IPA Cask Finish is a single malt whisky finished in empty casks that have been aged in India Pale Ale (IPA), a dark beer brewed with plenty of hops at the Minami-Shinshu Beer Komagatake Brewery.
The result is a bottle with a fresh, lively aroma reminiscent of citrus fruits derived from hops, a clear sweetness like grapefruit and lime, and a crisp, bitter finish that makes it an excellent match for highballs.Reference: Hombo Shuzo official website
2-1. Tasting Notes
| Aroma | Fresh and lively aroma reminiscent of citrus fruits derived from herbal hops |
| Taste | Clear sweetness like grapefruit and lime |
| Aftertaste | Bitter aftertaste with a nice sharpness |
2-2. Product Specifications
| Alcohol content | 52% alcohol by volume |
| By Sake | Single Malt Japanese Whiskey |
| Barrel type | Mainly bourbon barrels (additional maturation: Minami-Shinshu Beer IPA barrels) |
| Content volume | 700ml |
| Number of bottles sold | Limited to 2,730 bottles |
| Suggested retail price | 9,900 yen (tax included) |
| Release date | Early August 2024 |
3. Awards
No awards received at this time.
Price
4-1. Suggested Retail Price
| Product name | Single Malt Komagatake IPA Cask Finish Bottled in 2024 |
| Capacity | 700ml |
| Suggested Retail Price | 9,900 yen (including tax) |
Resale price on Mercari
Resale prices on Mercarirange from 11,550 yen to 15,000 yen. (*As of 8/30/2024)
Since the quantity is limited, it seems to be listed at or above the regular price immediately after its release every year. Although it is complicated that it is purchased for resale, it is certain that the whiskey itself has value.
4-3. Yahoo Auction Sold Price
Sold at Yahoo! Auction, the average bid price is around 12,000 yen. (*Statistics for the past 180 days from 8/30/2024)
Similar to Mercari, the bidding price has been above the list price right after the release. As the vintage changes every year, collectors will want to acquire this product even if it is a little expensive.
4-4. Rakuten, Yahoo Shopping, Amazon
On mail order sites, the price ranges from 16,500 yen to around 20,000 yen. (*As of 8/30/2024)
On the Rakuten market, the price is even higher than on Mercari and Yahoo auctions due to its scarcity. The price is not likely to go down because of the small production volume itself.
4-5. Prices offered at BAR Shinkai
At “BAR Shinkai” operated by this site, by the glass offered at 45ml: 2,970 yen, 30ml: 1,980 yen, and 15ml: 990 yen.
5. About the manufacturer
Honbo Shuzo Co.
| Established | 1872 |
| Head office location | 891-0122; 3-27 Minamiei, Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan |
| Owned distilleries | Mars Shinshu distillery, Mars Tsunuki distillery |
６．About the distilleries
Mars Komagatake Distillery
| Location | 4752-31 Miyata-mura, Kamiina-gun, Nagano 399-4301 |
| Start of operation | 1985 |
In 1949, Hombo Shuzo, which had been striving to make shochu, a Japanese distilled spirit, in Kagoshima, obtained a license to produce whiskey. Since then, the company has held on to the dream of “someday making real whiskey that makes the most of the Japanese climate.
After several years of whiskey production in Kagoshima, in 1960, he established the Mars Yamanashi Winery, a factory for wine and whiskey production in Yamanashi. Then, in order to engage in whisky production in earnest, he searched for an even more ideal location.
The natural conditions for whiskey making are very demanding: a cold region with clear air, and blessed with moderate humidity and good quality water.
After searching for a site that met these conditions, Mars Shinshu Distillery was established in 1985 at an altitude of 798 meters at the foot of Komagatake Mountain in the Central Alps, Nagano Prefecture, in search of the best environment for whisky making.
In 1992, distillation was halted due to sluggish demand for whiskey. In 2009, when demand for Japanese whiskey was recovering and Japanese whiskey was gaining worldwide recognition, we decided to resume distilling and started again in February 2011.
In September 2020, the distillery underwent a complete renewal for the first time in 35 years. The investment will be approximately 1.2 billion yen.
From May 2019, renovation of existing facilities and equipment, including renovation of aging facilities, construction of a whiskey distillation building (including a barrel cellar) to increase whiskey production, and a visitor’s building to sell original whiskey and other goods.
The new whisky distillation building has a total floor area of 1,996m2 (including the barrel cellar, which will hold approximately 2,500 barrels), and the visitor’s building has a floor area of 746m2.
Reference: Hombo Brewery official website
Production capacity: 1.1 tons of malt/day
■Manufacturing capacity: approximately 700L/day, approximately 185KL/year (planned for FY2020)
Main Facilities: 1 malt crusher, 1 mash tun reuter (saccharification tank) 6KL, 3 stainless steel fermentation tanks 6KL, 3 Douglas fir wooden fermentation tanks (relocated) 6KL, first distillation kettle (relocated)
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For more information about Mars Shinshu Distillery, please see also here↓.
Please check out other review articles about Komagatake.
7. Summary
This year marks the fourth Komagatake IPA Cask Finish, which has been on sale since 2020. Even though the concept of the brewing process is the same, it may be one of the pleasures to compare the differences in aroma and flavor of each vintage.
Or, it would be more enjoyable to taste the IPA (India Pale Ale) beer used in the finishing process, as you can feel the story of this whisky.
Minami-Shinshu Beer also offers an IPA beer that was fermented and aged in the same barrels used to age the single malt Komagatake, which is also a must-try.
Hombo Brewery also releases ” Iwai Tradition Wine Cask Finish ” and ” Mortage Koshibaku Wine Cask Finish ” using empty red wine barrels produced at their Yamanashi winery, and they sell many in-house collaboration products, which is possible because Hombo Brewery produces a wide variety of different types of alcohol. We sell many collaborative products that are made possible by the Hombo Sake Brewery’s extensive in-house production of various types of sake.
The Hombo Brewery’s approach is to create new value by making the most of its own strengths. We are sure that there will be more surprising collaborative products in the future.
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.
