Nagahama Bourbon Cask Single Malt

What it is

A bourbon cask single malt from Nagahama Distillery in Shiga, bottled at 58.6%. Nagahama works on a one distillation, one cask basis and releases its single malts in very small batches, so specifications vary considerably between bottlings under similar names.

Where it comes from

Nagahama opened in 2016 on the site of the Nagahama Roman Beer brewery on the shore of Lake Biwa. This is the distillery's own spirit, distilled and matured on site, unlike the Amahagan range which openly blends imported malt. We haven't found a producer statement putting this specific bottling against the Japan Spirits and Liqueurs Makers Association standard, but the single malts and the Amahagan blends are clearly separate propositions and shouldn't be treated the same way.

How it's made

Nagahama runs the smallest stills in Japan, nicknamed alembics for their shape, with very short lyne arms that produce a thick, oily, malty new make. The distillery is attached to a brewery and a restaurant, which is unusual anywhere. Ex-bourbon casks are the backbone of its maturation programme and the clearest window on the distillery character, without sherry or wine wood getting in the way.

What to expect

Malty and full, with vanilla, coconut and caramel from the bourbon wood over ripe fruit and a fresh, grassy youth underneath. At 58.6% it's hot and needs water. Small batch releases like this vary, so treat any tasting note as indicative rather than definitive.

How it compares

Against The First Batch, Nagahama's flagship single malt, that one vats bourbon, sherry, Islay quarter cask and mizunara components together, so it's broader where this is focused. Against the Amahagan World Malt range, this is the distillery's own whisky and Amahagan is the blending exercise built on imported malt. Against other Japanese craft single malts, Nagahama is among the smallest producers you'll find.