Last Updated: 10/23/2020
No beverage category is as wild as Japanese whisky. Extreme demand for a limited supply has spawned many upstarts, fakes, and oddballs. If you’re looking for authentic Japanese whisky with a sane price tag, Akashi is a brand to know.
This post explores the iconic White Oak Distillery, Akashi’s most well-known brands, and some of the other products made at Eigashima.
Overview of Akashi Whisky
Akashi Whisky is made in Akashi, Hyogo at the White Oak Distillery. The Seto Inland Sea is in their backyard. Eigashima Shuzo (江井ヶ嶋酒造) is the company behind the brand.
In 1919, they became the first licensed whisky distillery in Japan.* They also produce whisky under the Eigashima brand. Overall, the production of Akashi is modest but of high quality. They’ve recently increased output as well.
*Suntory’s Yamazaki Distillery was Japan’s first whisky distillery and with much higher production volumes.
Akashi Blended and Akashi Single Malt are the most readily available Eigashima whiskeys in the US. Many other limited bottlings are produced and are available from time to time.
Eigashima is the smallest whisky distillery in Japan with a modest production volume. Therefore, you may have to search around depending on where you live.
Akashi Blended Whisky
Akashi Blended is the most widespread White Oak whisky. It’s a blend of malt and grain whiskies distilled in-house, as well as, sourced from Scotland. It tastes a lot like blended Scotch, with a mild peaty nature.
Overall, it’s a light whisky that’s more of a good on its own but shines in cocktails like the Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Japanse Highball, and the Penicillin.
Akashi Blended Then and Now
It was originally made for the Japanese domestic market, where whisky has a broader definition. Akashi Blended was made with a large percentage of cane-based spirit blended with a smaller portion of imported Scotch and house-distilled whisky.
Again, this is a pretty common practice in Japan for domestic-only whiskies. The first exporter shipped it as-is, but it didn’t meet EU/US standards of whisky.
Akashi never hid this fact, but wisely switched to only grain and malt whisky for the blend. The blending of in-house whisky and Scotch continues, however.
Finding Akashi Blended: Bars, Shops, and Delivery
Akashi Blended is available in many major urban areas. Its range has further expanded due to the proliferation of online retailers that deliver. Every state has different rules, unfortunately, so you may have to shop around.
Many Japanese restaurants and bars will carry Akashi Blended, and likely for a low price. On the retail side, expect to pay between $35-$50 pre-tax.
Shop Online Retailers of Akashi Blended
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Alternatives to Akashi Blended
Competition for entry-level blended Japanese whisky is growing.
Suntory Toki is arguably leading the category. It’s often priced below $30, has slick packaging and branding, and is very tasty. Unline Akashi, Toki is made entirely in Japan.
Nikka has responded with their own blended whisky: Nikka Days. It’s priced around $50 retail. Nikka Days also uses imported Scotch in the blend like Akashi Blended.
The other major competitor is Mars Iwai. This killer blend is a little more like Bourbon than blended Scotch. It’s soft, smooth, and priced to sell at around $30 per bottle.
Learn more about Akashi Blended Whisky, including tasting notes and cocktails, with our full-length post.
Akashi Single Malt Whisky
Akashi Single Malt is the White Oak Distillery’s flagship product. It’s a non-age statement whisky with an average age between 3 and 5 years. The alcohol content is 46% abv. It’s medium-bodied, soft, and has a mildly peaty malt character.
There’s a lot of American oak influence, but the use of many other cask types makes for a complex spirit. It’s one of the best features of this relatively young whisky.
Finding Akashi Whisky: Restaurants, Retail, and Delivery
Akashi single malt is somewhat common at Japanese restaurants and bars in most urban centers, and its range is expanding. Furthermore, it has found its way onto the shelves of many non-Japanese establishments. The demand for whisky from Japan is intense and beverage managers across North America have noticed.
If you’re looking to buy a bottle of Akashi single malt, expect to pay around $100 or more. It’s widely available in major market wine shops and liquor stores.
Shopping online is the easiest way to obtain a bottle. Delivery is available in more places than ever. Another good option is to check Wine-searcher. You may find Akashi available locally. Many stores offer delivery, or you can go pick it up.
Shop Online Retailers of Akashi Single Malt
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Alternatives to Akashi Single Malt
The price of Akashi single malt puts it in direct competition with some big-name Japanese whiskies.
Both Nikka Yoichi and Miyagikyo NAS single malts are slightly more affordable. Alternatively, Yamazaki 12 and many of the Mars Komagatake series are $25-$50 more.
Learn more about Akashi Single malt, including tasting notes and cocktails, with our full-length post.
Akashi Ume
This is a fun product that blends the best of whiskey and plum wine (umeshu).
In late spring, ultra-sour ume are harvested and spend six months to a year soaking in Akashi Blended whiskey. Rock sugar is added as well. After blending, the final product is cut down to 30.5% abv. This low strength precludes it from being labeled as whiskey.
Akashi Ume is robust, sweet, sour, and spicy.
It shines when served on the rocks or as a highball. It also makes a fantastic mixer in cocktails. Incorporating a small amount into a Manhattan or Old Fashioned adds a layer of complexity to these classics. The Penicillin is another favorite that can be transformed from a splash of Akashi Ume.
Finding Akashi Ume: Restaurants, Retail, and Delivery
This unique Japanese product has scattered availability across the United States. Luckily, if you do find some, it won’t come with a steep price tag.
Bottles can be found at major wine and spirits stores for around $35.
Restaurant and bar prices will often be between $6-$9.
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Other Akashi Whiskies
Akashi produces a number of limited-release whiskies every year. These typically have an age statement and an interesting cask.
Akashi Sherry Cask – 5 Year Aged Single Malt
This wonderful whiskey is released in limited quantities every year. It uses a mix of Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso Sherry casks. It’s bottled at a hearty 50% abv and has a rich, fruity profile.
Akashi Old Sherry Butt – 10 Year Aged Single Malt
Another fine malt whisky from the White Oak Distillery. This one spent a decade in a used Sherry cask. It has dark and fruity flavors with loads of spice.
Akashi Red Wine Cask – 6 Year Aged Single Malt
This small-production single malt spent five years in used Cognac barrels, before a year of finishing in ex-wine barrels. It’s also bottled at cask strength (62% abv). Tasting notes include dark red fruit, caramel apple, cocoa, cinnamon, and vanilla.
The White Oak Distillery – Akashi あかし
Akashi is certainly one of the big names in Japanese whisky. However, production volumes are small. Their whiskies were long made for the domestic market with its lax definition of “whisky”.
In 1984, the White Oak Distillery was built with its duo of copper pot stills. At that point, quality took a major leap forward.
White Oak’s pot stills are relatively small. Typically, smaller stills result in a heavier and more congener-heavy spirit, but Akashi whiskies tend to retain this complexity while having a lighter character. A slower distillation run and the copper of the stills certainly help achieve this result.
Malt is typically lightly peated (about 10 ppm) Scottish import.
Akashi Whisky is matured in an extremely humid environment next to the Seto Inland Sea. Summers are hot too. This leads to more rapid maturation compared to a cooler climate like Scotland. The humidity means that the alcohol evaporates more rapidly than the distillate’s water and contributes greatly to the angel’s share.
Recommended Whisky Products
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Eigashima: Sake First, Whisky Second
Well before Akashi Whisky, Eigashima Shuzo was an established sake brewer and shochu distiller. Their Kamitaka sake brand has been around for over 120 years and is very much worth seeking out.
Eigashima also produces brandy, umeshu, wine, and more. Typically, sake is produced from November to February and whisky from March until October. Toji Yuki Nakamura makes both the sake and the whisky– which is crazy! He hails from the Tamba Toji sake guild.
Shochu production has ceased so that the company can focus more on whiskey production.
Kamitaka Sake
Eigashima Shuzo began as a sake brewery– founded in 1891. One of their principal brands was Kamitaka. Today, Eigashima’s grounds include an impressive array of buildings with different sake-related functions. Most of them are wooden and over 100 years old. A newer building includes a massive vertical rice mill.
Kamitaka sake is typically higher in acidity to be more food-friendly. They brew traditionally during the winter season. Their products don’t make it outside of Japan often, which is a shame. Akashi, located on the Seto Inland Sea is famous for its tai (red sea bream) and tako (octopus).
Other Products
Eigashima produces a wide range of products. Ume-shu has long been an area of expertise. They bottle under the Shiratama brand for the domestic market, as well as Ume whisky for export. Eigashima also established Charmant Wine in Yamanashi in 1964.