The Fukano Distillery stands in Hitoyoshi City on the island of Kyushu, Japan. It was founded in 1823 and is located in the Kyushu mountain region that is famed for its pristine nature and exceptionally-pure water. The first distillery in the Kumamoto Prefecture to mature the traditional Japanese rice spirit shochu in barrels, this process was first put into practice by Chizuru Fukano, the current president's mother. Now in their fifth generation of Fukanos, the distillery is led by Shigeruriku Fukano. Their whisky is produced using a combination of malted and unmalted rice using a pot still. The limited-edition releases see only a few casks bottled each year, which include spirits that have been aged in various oak casks. Distilled, matured, and bottled in Japan, Fukano whiskies are only sold in export markets. The Fukano 2020 Edition is bottled at 81.2 proof and boasts a complex profile with tropical fruit, rice, spices, vanilla, and caramel notes. 

Kujira Whisky 12 Year Old Sherry Cask is a single grain whisky whose originality is to be made from 100% indica long grain rice fermented with yeast like whisky and black Koji, a variety unique to the Okinawa islands, distilled in traditional stills according to the manufacturing method inherited from awamori, the traditional spirit of the region.

This Kujira whisky is a blend of single grains aged for 12 years in Sherry casks only, under a subtropical climate whose influence is expressed through a tasting profile balanced between sweetness and complexity.

At the opening it is first the notes of rum, cognac, molasses and corn that express themselves followed in the mouth by the sweetness of fruity aromas of blueberry and dried fruit. In the finish, we note the lightness and sweetness of its aromatic profile that persists until the last moment.

Distilled, aged and bottled in Japan, this single grain is a creation of the Kumesen Syuzo distillery located in the south of Japan in the tropical archipelago of Okinawa, formerly known as the kingdom of Ryukyu. 

Both whisky and awamori, the single grain rice whiskies also called Ryukyu whiskies, represent an enriching blend of age-old know-how.

About the Brand

Founded in 1823, Fukano Distillery is located in Hitoyoshi City, of the Kumamoto Prefecture of Japan on the island of Kyushu. Hitoyoshi is surrounded by mountains and is known for its pure water and nature. Shigeruriku Fukano is the fifth generation of his family to run the distillery. They use a combination of malted and un-malted rice to make their whisky in a pot still. These releases are very limited in nature and only a few casks are bottled each year. For 2016 they have released a few single new oak casks and also one white label marriage of sherry and new oak casks. Fukano Distillery makes a wonderful whisky that is sold in export markets only and is not to be considered as a Japanese Whisky. It is a Whisky that is distilled, matured, and bottled in Japan.

Our Process

LOCALLY GROWN RICE, A PURE WATER SOURCE & CHARRED BARRELS

Because rice is a clean, sulfurless, distillate it doesn’t require copper stills to produce a drinkable beverage and is instead distilled in stainless steel still and distilled at a relatively low proof. After distillation the shochu, which would be called new make outside of Japan, is then transferred to new charred oak barrels and laid to rest in a warehouse that more closely resembles a Scottish dunnage than a Kentucky Rickhouse.

Fukano 10 Years old Tasting Notes

Appearance / Color : Warm Gold.

Nose / Aroma / Smell: The aroma is delicate but thick with florals, mixed citrus, and sandalwood.

Flavor / Taste / Palate: The palate opens up with a silky complexity stretching from exotic spices and mint to white plum and marmalade.

Finish: The palate is medium length and lingers with notes of marzipan and raisins.

ALL OHISHI WHISKIES ARE FIRST MATURED IN EITHER SHERRY OR EX-BRANDY CASKS BEFORE BEING BOTTLED OR GOING INTO THEIR FINISHING CASKS. 

BECAUSE RICE WHISKY IS SO ELEGANT AND SOFT, IT HAS THE ABILITY TO TAKE ON CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CASK TYPE VERY QUICKLY. NO WHISKY IS RELEASED BEFORE IT IS READY AS DETERMINED BY KAZUNORI OISHI.

THE SAKURA (CHERRY BLOSSOM) TREES USED FOR THE CASKS ARE GROWN LOCALLY IN KUMAMOTO

​TASTING NOTES:

MILD OAK SPICE, CRÈME BRULEE. THE FINISH LINGERS ON THE PALATE IN A LOVELY MANNER.

Premium Blended Shochu Finished in Oak Casks Exclusively From Amami Island, Japan

An exceptional blend of the finest expressions of matured and cask-aged kokuto, or “black sugar,” shochu from our distillery on Amami Island, Japan.

Elegantly smooth and drinkable, Nankai Gold offers remarkable layers of fruit, floral, and malty aromas with gentle notes of raisins, chocolates and honey.

Enjoy this rare and exquisite spirit neat or on the rocks.

Nankai Gold took home the top prize for the shochu category and won the rare and coveted Master Medal.

Nankai Gold is a 43% ABV blend of artisan black sugar shochus single-distilled from black sugar (80%) and rice (20%).

It is produced exclusively by our distillery on Amami Island, Japan.

Each shochu in the blend is handcrafted from only four natural ingredients: sugarcane, rice, koji yeast, and water.

A portion of our blend is single-distilled via vacuum distillation to create a smooth and delicious finish.

Vacuum stills lower the boiling point of alcohol by half, resulting in a softer, gentler distillation.

Our artisans masterfully finish our select shochus in American white oak and French Limousin casks. Each shochu is aged up to 5 years before being blended into Nankai Gold. 

The result is a unique and complex experience worthy of your attention.

Nankai Gold is a handcrafted, cask-aged shochu, a traditional Japanese distilled spirit.

Unlike whiskey, shochu uniquely uses “koji” in the fermentation process. shochu is also single-distilled to preserve the luscious flavors and aromas of the source grain.

However, if you’re a fan of Japanese whiskeys, you will love how the beauty of shochu and whiskey making are elegantly combined into one gorgeous bottle.

The Japanese public preferred a softer, smoother, less-smokey version of whisky, and their master distillers worked tirelessly to cater to the public's flavor profile. The result, a whisky that rivals even the legendary scotches because of the quality and never before seen flavor and finishes. Not to mention Japan made the whisky Highball famous due to the light, sweet, and floral whiskies effect on sparkling water. 

Yamato does just that, pairing perfectly with the traditional Japanese whisky flavor profile. You can witness a silky smooth finish, beautiful fruits, and vanillas from the start. Yamato is your entrance into the world of high-end Japanese whisky. Enjoy it neat, on the rocks, or in a highball.

Our Okinawa range celebrates a vibrant Japanese distilling history spanning over 600 years and builds upon it with a bold, contemporary vision. Exclusively distilled, matured, and bottled in this sub-tropical island, the character of our award-winning single grain whiskies remains unmatched.

SINGLE GRAIN WHISKY

Kumesen Distillery est. 1952

The undisputed sherry on top, this single grain whisky is as close to perfection as it gets. Take your time to savor each sip.

Makoto 23 is a single grain Japanese whisky, distilled, bottled, and aged at the Kumesen Distillery, one of the most famous distilleries in Japan. Through continuous research and innovation, Kumesen Distillery had reached an unrivaled sophistication.

Makoto whisky was distilled on 1995 and was aged for 23 years in bourbon casks. Its level of complexity is highly praised by whiskey connoisseurs all over the world a great addition to any whiskey collector or enthusiast. In Bushido, the unwritten Samurai code of conduct, Makoto is the principle that represents Honesty and Sincerity. Guided by Makoto, the warrior seeks consistency between words and deeds. We crafted this whiskey with the virtue of Makoto as our inspiration.

Founded in 1952, the Kumesen Syuzo Distilling Co began distilling spirits made from Long Grain Indica Rice and fermented with native Black Koji. By 1989 Kumesen began to finish their product in Bourbon casks and Kujira was born. Now after 20 years of aging, Kujira Single Grain Rice Whisky has been perfected. Where others supplement grain whisky to increase production, Kujira Single Grain 20 Year is 100% Japanese with Rice from a single distillery, produced in small batches with the same ingredients and centuries old tradition that make Okinawa special.

RYUKYU IS TO JAPANESE RICE WHISKY AS KENTUCKY IS TO BOURBON
The Ryukyu region of Japan is quickly becoming the hub for quality Japanese Whisky due to the pure water supply and ancient techniques.

Founded in 1952, the Kumesen Syuzo Distilling Co began distilling spirits made from Long Grain Indica Rice and fermented with native Black Koji. By 1989 Kumesen began to finish their product in Bourbon casks and Kujira was born. Now after 20 years of aging, Kujira Single Grain Rice Whisky has been perfected. Where others supplement grain whisky to increase production, Kujira Single Grain 20 Year is 100% Japanese with Rice from a single distillery, produced in small batches with the same ingredients and centuries old tradition that make Okinawa special.

RYUKYU IS TO JAPANESE RICE WHISKY AS KENTUCKY IS TO BOURBON
The Ryukyu region of Japan is quickly becoming the hub for quality Japanese Whisky due to the pure water supply and ancient techniques.

Yamato Red Samurai Edition pairs perfectly with the traditional Japanese whisky flavor profile. You can witness a silky smooth finish, beautiful fruits, and vanilla from the start. Yamato is your entrance into the world of high-end Japanese whisky.

Dedication and perfection has been a consistent lifestyle in Japanes culture. From a young age to adulthood, the Samurai would train their bodies and spirits rigorously, and serve with high loyalty to their masters. 140 years of the same discipline crafted this specialty Yamato Black Samurai whisky.

Yamato Black Samurai pairs perfectly with the traditional Japanese whisky flavor profile. You can witness a silky smooth finish, beautiful fruits, and vanillas from the start. Yamato Black is your entrance into the world of high-end Japanese whisky. Enjoy it neat, on the rocks, or in a highball. 

Dedication and perfection has been a consistent lifestyle in Japanese culture. From a young age to adulthood, the Samurai would train their bodies and spirits rigorously, and serve with high loyalty to their masters. 140 years of the same discipline crafted this specialty Yamato Gold Samurai whisky.

Yamato Gold Samurai pairs perfectly with the traditional Japanese whisky flavor profile. You can witness a silky smooth finish, beautiful fruits, and vanilla from the start. Yamato Gold is your entrance into the world of high-end Japanese whisky. 

Founded in 1952, the Kumesen Syuzo Distilling Co began distilling spirits made from Long Grain Indica Rice and fermented with native Black Koji. By 1989 Kumesen began to finish their product in Bourbon casks and Kujira was born. Now after 20 years of aging, Kujira Single Grain Rice Whisky has been perfected. Where others supplement grain whisky to increase production, Kujira Single Grain 20 Year is 100% Japanese with Rice from a single distillery, produced in small batches with the same ingredients and centuries old tradition that make Okinawa special.

RYUKYU IS TO JAPANESE RICE WHISKY AS KENTUCKY IS TO BOURBON
The Ryukyu region of Japan is quickly becoming the hub for quality Japanese Whisky due to the pure water supply and ancient techniques.

Founded in 1952, the Kumesen Syuzo Distilling Co began distilling spirits made from Long Grain Indica Rice and fermented with native Black Koji. By 1989 Kumesen began to finish their product in Bourbon casks and Kujira was born. Now after 20 years of aging, Kujira Single Grain Rice Whisky has been perfected. Where others supplement grain whisky to increase production, Kujira Single Grain 20 Year is 100% Japanese with Rice from a single distillery, produced in small batches with the same ingredients and centuries old tradition that make Okinawa special.

RYUKYU IS TO JAPANESE RICE WHISKY AS KENTUCKY IS TO BOURBON
The Ryukyu region of Japan is quickly becoming the hub for quality Japanese Whisky due to the pure water supply and ancient techniques.

Perfectly balanced with heather honey, sweet caramel, Japanese plum, balanced oak, peat and toffee with hints of sandalwood and green tea. Non chill-filtered at 48% alcohol to keep its natural flavors at maximum. Blended at its peak flavor, rather than a predetermined ratio. As a result, each batch is unique and limited with stocks.

OUR WHISKY

We wanted to celebrate the timeless alcohol tradition of the region by blending a Japanese style whisky that harmonizes Japanese nature and artisanship.

OUR BLEND

We choose rare Japanese malt whiskies, finest malt whiskies from the rest of the world and fuse this unique blend with the highest quality pure spring water from Japan.

OUR CITY

Our story takes place in a truly ancient land, one of spiritual and carnal harmony, in the temples of Nara in Japan. The ancient capital of Japan, Nara holds many temples from the 8th century that imperturbably give the holy capital its power.

OUR SHRINE

Ōmiwa Shrine in Nara is one of Japan's oldest extant Shinto shrines. It is a tutelary shrine of the Japanese alcohol producers. Most well-known alcohol producer families are in Nara and these families have a centuries-old tradition of producing alcohol for Ōmiwa.
The alcohol produced by these families is served as blessings at Shinto temples.

OUR NAME

The Ōmiwa Shrine lies at the foot of Mount Miwa, a holy mountain guarded by the shrine. Mount Miwa has many legends, and has been worshiped from ancient times as a sacred Mountain of the God. Inspired by beautiful breezes coming from the Mountain of the God, we named our whisky KAMIKI whereby "KAMI" means "GOD" and "IKI" means "BREATH".

This Hayashi Single Grain whisky beautifully exemplifies a Japanese whisky evolved from rich traditions of the Ryukyu islands. The highest quality indica rice is fermented, as it has been for centuries to make awamori, then rests in barrels amidst the lush Okinawa air, accelerating and invigorating its maturation. The result is a magnificent single grain whisky that expresses a powerful profile with tropical and flavors unique only to the Hayashi name.

Origin: Okinawa, Japan

Mash: 100% Japanese Indica Rice, Black Koji

No caramel color added

Like the forests along Okinawa’s shores, Hayashi 24 is an expression of the land it comes from. Crafted with indica rice and bourbon casks, Hayashi transforms a 500-year-old awamori tradition into a radiant 24-year-old whisky.

Origin: Okinawa, Japan

Mash: 100% Japanese Indica Rice, Black Koji

No caramel color added

The story within this bottle begins 500 years ago, along the shores of Okinawa’s iconic Ryukyu islands, where indica rice was fermented into the beloved native indulgence of awamori. The Hayashi 8 Year grows these same roots in new, revitalized soil. A single grain whisky aged eight years in bourbon casks is enriched by island air to a masterful oak and caramel complexity, flourished with tropical flavors unique only to the Hayashi name.

Origin: Okinawa, Japan

Mash: 100% Japanese Indica Rice, Black Koji

No caramel color added