Nagahama Single Malt 2018/2023 - 4 yo - Sake Cask Finish #0137

Volume: 0.5 litres | Alcohol content: 57.5% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

A finish in a cask that previously held Junmai Daiginjo sake gives this Nagahama single malt its distinctive character. Distilled on 23 August 2018, the whisky spent around three years in a bourbon cask before moving to the sake cask. In 2023, cask 0137 yielded 351 bottles of 0.5 litres at 57.5% ABV. The whisky is not chill-filtered, contains no added colouring and comes in gift packaging.

Vanilla and white flowers mingle with herbal lemongrass and a suggestion of rice. Pear and raisins add fruit, while dry, slightly bitter spice balances the sweetness. Both the bourbon maturation and the unusual sake finish remain discernible in this single-cask whisky.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Soft vanilla and floral notes appear on the nose, accompanied by fresh lemongrass and an herbal hint of rice.
• Palate: On the palate, a dry, clean texture meets restrained sweetness. Creamy vanilla, pear and raisins are accompanied by sage, jasmine and nutmeg.
• Finish: Pear and grape-like fruit linger in the finish, while vanilla and white flowers mingle with delicate spice.

Distillery/Bottler:

Nagahama Distillery is part of the Nagahama Roman Beer brewery by Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture. Whisky distillation began there in November 2016, on the site of the brewery, which has operated since 1996. Three small, alembic-shaped stills are central to production, and the distillery also uses brewery equipment for mashing and fermentation. Alongside its own single malts, Nagahama makes the Amahagan range by combining its whisky with whisky sourced elsewhere. The whisky from cask 0137, by contrast, is a Nagahama Distillery single malt and an official bottling.

Facts: