List of products by brand Akkeshi Distillery
Looking at Akkeshi Bay we expect the maritime aromas in the air to influence the characteristics of Akkeshi whiskey.
Among the best peat whiskeys in Japan and in the world.
Akkeshi Distillery began production in October 2016, so four years ago and has quickly become a cult distillery.
The founder is Keiichi Toita of Kenten Jitsugyo.
In the late 1990s, he was stunned when he encountered Ardbeg, a malt from Islay.
"Who knew there was a whiskey like this?" Toita-san, whose previous experience with whiskey was limited to dabbling in Bourbon, was fascinated by Islay malts.
From that moment, holding "The Complete Guide to Single Malt Whiskey" (Shogakukan), he began his journey into the world of single malts.
Stills and mash tuns made by Forsyths.
Keiichi Toita imported two stills and a mash tun made by Forsyths, which have a straight-headed onion shape like those used in several Isle of Islay distilleries.
They are heated by radiators and the connected condensers are shell and tube.
The mash tun is of the semi-lauter type.
The equipment was installed by Forsyths workers who traveled to Japan for the occasion.
The six washes (fermentation tanks) are in stainless steel, and Keiichi Toita has deliberately selected a type that cannot be thermoregulated, very traditional but difficult to use.
"We leave the temperature to nature and our artisans carefully observe the timing of fermentation."
Japanese oak barrels used for growth.
The two ripening warehouses on site have a floor format.
A third warehouse adjacent to the sea was completed in February 2018, incorporating an innovative shelving system.
Looking at Akkeshi Bay we expect the maritime aromas in the air to influence the characteristics of Akkeshi whiskey.
For the Japanese oak barrels, hard to find.
They are also testing a variety of possibilities including aging in wine and rum barrels.
The source of the pure water it uses to make whiskey comes from the Homakai River, in the upstream stretches of the Oboro River near the distillery.
The surrounding area is a swamp, home to water crow's feet insects that are said to grow only in the purest water.
The delicate white flowers, which bloom in the summer, are an unmistakable sign of abundant clean water, which is what we will use to make Akkeshi whiskey.
