Kujira Ryukyu 8 Year Old Whisky

A lovely, eight year-old Rice Whisky aged in Bourbon and Sherry casks.

The Kumesen Distillery — Kumesen Syuzo — was founded in Okinawa, Japan, in 1952. Their first product was Awamori — a beverage distilled from special Indica rice and served at 30-40% ABV. Then in 1989 they began to age their Awamori in oak casks, creating a rice-based Whiskey. The products are exceptionally popular in the Japanese islands and the rich flavor of their products are building a global fan base.

Kujira Ryukyu 8 Year Old Whisky is a single grain Rice Whisky. Do NOT make the mistake of thinking that this is a Rice Wine or a Sake. This is a real Whiskey with rice as the core fermented grain. It’s made from polished Indica rice and aged for eight years in a combination of ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry casks and bottled at 40% ABV. The result is an exceptional Spirit with the smoothness of a wheated dram and all of the spice coming from the wood.

Smartass Corner:
Awamori — the base Spirit — gets its name from the fermentation process. The word translates loosely as "rising swelling bubbles" and the fermentation is started with black koji from Okinawa.