“Single Malt Nagahama Mizunara Cask Batch 635 Lemon Heart Ceramic Bottle” from Nagahama Distillery by Nagahama Romantic Beer is now available by lottery.
Lottery sales have already started for members only on the official website of Nagahama Romantic Beer.
1. Single Malt Nagahama Mizunara Cask Batch 635 Lemon Heart Ceramic Bottle
On Tuesday, May 14, 2024, a limited quantity of Single Malt Nagahama Mizunara Cask Batch 635 Lemon Heart Ceramic Bottle, a cask strength whiskey series that is not watered and can be enjoyed as it is in the cask, will be bottled. It will be available at liquor stores nationwide and on the Nagahama Roman Beer website.
The Nagahama Distillery was established in 2016 as part of Nagahama Romantic Beer’s 20th anniversary project. Inspired by Scottish craft distilleries, it is extremely rich and fruity, flowing from an alambic-shaped pot still and ultra-fine line arm. The distillate is characterized by a rich, grain-derived sweetness.
The chief blender of Nagahama Distillery has selected Mizunara oak barrels, which are very popular both in Japan and abroad, after repeated tastings among a number of aging barrels. The distillery’s malty taste and the woody accent of the oak barrels combine to create a rich taste that can be enjoyed with the special design of the BAR Lemon Heart Master ceramic bottle.
The concept of Nagahama Distillery, “One Brew, One Barrel,” comes from the fact that the amount of sake that flows out of one distillation is approximately 200 liters, or one barrel. We hope that you will enjoy the unique flavor of each barrel, which is created with passion and ingenuity.
2. About Nagahama Distillery
Nagahama Distillery
| Location | 14-1 Asahi-cho, Nagahama-shi, Shiga 526-0056 |
| Start of operation | November 1, 2016 |
Nagahama Distillery, one of the smallest distilleries in Japan, located in the northern part of Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture, is a craft beer distillery and restaurant. There are few distilleries, including major whiskey distilleries, that have their own restaurant, and craft whiskey distilleries are very rare.
The unique shape of the pot stills installed in the distillery reminds us of the very origin of whiskey 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 whiskey production were installed. The building has a vaulted ceiling, with a saccharification tank and distiller on the first floor, and a crusher 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.
From its establishment to the present, a lot of trial and error has gone on. Major changes include a change in the malt crush ratio and a change in fermentation time, which was initially 60 hours but has now been increased to 72 hours. 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 whiskey under the spirit of “one brew, one barrel.
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Reference: Whiskey｜Nagahama Romantic Beer
3. Product specifications
| Product name | Single Malt Nagahama Mizunara Cask Batch 635 Lemon Heart Ceramic Bottle |
| Type of whisky | Malt whisky |
| Number of Bottling | Limited 250 |
| alcohol content | 51.4％ |
| Suggested retail price | 35,000 yen (including tax) |
4. Past works of Nagahama Distillery
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.
