”Tokyo Whiskey 2024″ supervised by Takao Mori, the owner of MORI BAR, one of Japan’s leading bartenders, will be released from Nagahama Distillery on October 11 (Friday).
Mr. Mori is known for his legendary Mori Martini. The martini made with BOODLES gin in the freezer is famous. He is a leading bartender in the Japanese bar industry.
Mr. Mori supervised the production of the whiskey “Tokyo Whiskey 2024. How does it taste?
The details of its release are still unknown, but it will probably be available for purchase from the official online store of Nagahama Distillery. We recommend those who wish to purchase to check the details.
Tokyo Whiskey 2024
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Distillery Comments & Tasting Notes
This whisky is a blend of single malt non-peated sherry cask aged whisky from Nagahama Distillery, Mizunara cask aged whisky, 30 year old malt distilled in 1990, and malt distilled in 1996, which were purchased from overseas. We hope you will enjoy to your heart’s content the multi-layered flavor of the blend of these various types of malt, the deep flavor brought about by the sense of maturity, and the malty aftertaste.
The furoshiki cloth included in the package was established in 1615 during the early Edo period. The furoshiki cloth included in the package was manufactured by Eirakuya, Japan’s oldest cotton cloth merchant in Kyoto, which was founded in 1615 in the early Edo period and is engaged in the manufacture and sale of tenugui hand towels and furoshiki cloth. The design of this furoshiki incorporates the image of Kyoto, Nagahama in Shiga Prefecture, and Tokyo. We hope you enjoy “Tokyo Whiskey” with this design.
Tasting Notes
A sparkling amber color. Floral aroma. An ethereal aroma reminiscent of green apples and pears. From the middle, vanilla and honey derived from oak aroma. Spicy cinnamon-like accents spread pleasantly. Smooth mouthfeel. Rum raisin-like richness. Woody and oaky. Oriental and floral finish.
1-2. Product Specifications
| Product name | Tokyo Whiskey 2024 |
|---|---|
| Sake type | Blended malt whiskey |
| Ingredients | Malt |
| Cask Type | Single malt non-peat sherry cask-aged malt from Nagahama distillery, Quercus crispula cask-aged malt, 30-year-old malt from overseas distilled in 1990, malt from 1996, etc. Total of 7 kinds of malt |
| Number of bottles | 3,000 bottles |
| Degree | 50% (50%) |
| Price | 33,000 yen (tax included) |
2. Distillery Introduction
Nagahama Distillery
| Address | 14-1 Asahi-cho, Nagahama-shi, Shiga 526-0056 |
| Start of operation | November 1, 2016 (Heisei 28) |
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 whiskey distilleries, have restaurants attached to them, and when it comes to craft whiskey distilleries, they 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 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. This alambic type pot still is a rare type of distiller in Japan. The feature of this distiller is that it has the advantage of producing clear, soft liquor with little miscellaneous taste.
Trial and error was repeated between the establishment of the company and the present. Major changes include a change in the malt mash ratio and a change in fermentation time, which was initially 60 hours but is now 72 hours. After that, distillation was done while adjusting the fermentation time in order to create different types of original sake. The number of distillers was increased from two to three. When the distillery was founded, the first distillation kettle was 1,000 liters and the second distillation kettle was 500 liters, but the second distillation kettle was also replaced, and all three distillation kettles were unified to 1,000 liters. The rest of the redistillation kettles are almost never cleaned, following the example of Scottish distilleries. We have made many changes since our establishment until now.
Nevertheless, the spirit of the concept “one brew, one barrel” has remained unchanged and they continue to make whiskey.
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Reference: Whiskey｜Nagahama Romantic Beer
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.
