Okinawa’s Shinzato Shuzo and Suzaki Distillery release a single malt. “Single Malt Ryuka IPA 2025” will go on sale on Monday, November 7.
This whisky is the result of four types of casks and a subtropical maturation environment.
whisky is currently produced all over Japan, from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south.
The long vertical length of Japan has a variety of climates, from subarctic to subtropical, which produces a variety of flavors in whisky that vary greatly depending on the water quality and maturation environment.
Single malt Ryuka is a whisky matured in the subtropical climate of Okinawa, one of the few places in Japan where this type of whisky is produced.
whisky matures faster in a temperate climate.
In addition, four different types of casks were used to create a product with a distinctive character.
１. 【 Release Information 】Single Malt Ryuka IPA 2025
Product Characteristics
Strict adherence to the basics of the original brewing process
We continue to “stick to the basics” in our brewing, paying homage to traditional Scottish brewing methods.The distillery loved by the most angels in Japan
In this hot and humid climate, with an annual angel’s share of more than 10%, the cask-derived components emerge quickly and strongly, giving the spirit its rich character.Four types of casks are used
Refill Oloroso sherry cask
1st fill PX cask
Refill Spanish Oak Cask
Awamori cask
1-1. Product Specifications
| Product name | Single Malt Ryuka IPA 2025 |
| Sake type | Single malt Japanese whisky |
| Ingredients | Malt |
| cask alcohol | Refill Oloroso sherry, 1st fill PX cask Refill Spanish oak, Awamori cask |
| Number of bottles | Unknown |
| Degree of alcohol content | 58% (with a slight alcohol content) |
| Price | ー |
2. Sales
The Shinzato Shuzo official online store is selling a small number of this time.
The release date is November 17 (Monday). The sales hours and other details are unknown, but information may be announced on the official SNS.
The previous single malt was also distributed almost exclusively within Okinawa Prefecture, making it difficult to obtain.
3. Manufacturer
Shinzato Shuzo Co., Ltd. is the oldest Awamori brewer in Okinawa, founded in 1846, and obtained a license to produce whisky in April 2020.
| Company name | Shinzato Shuzo Co. |
| Established | 1846 |
| Head office location | 12-17, Suzaki, Uruma-City, Okinawa 904-2234, Japan |
| Owned distillery | Suzaki distillery |
４．What is Suzaki distillery?
| Name of distillery | Suzaki Distillery |
| Address | 12-17, Suzaki, Uruma-City, Okinawa 904-2234, Japan |
| Start of operation | April 2020: Licensed to manufacture whisky |
Shinzato Shuzo, Okinawa’s oldest Awamori distillery established in 1846, built the southernmost distillery in Japan.
Obtained whisky production license in April 2020, and will start production in May.
The ” Shinzato WHISKY ” currently on sale is a whisky made by blending overseas blended whisky with a few percent of the so-called “spirits” from Shinzato Shuzo’s Awamori that has been aged for 13 years in sherry casks.
The pot stills currently used for distilling Awamori were used together, but in October 2023, an Italian-made FRILLI copper pot still will be installed.
The single malt is currently sold under the name of “Ryuka”.
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For more information on the Suzaki distillery, please also see this article.
