Eigashima Shuzo Whisky Distillery

Brief overview of the distillery

White Oak Distillery in Akashi City is a small, seasonal whisky distillery with an unusual profile: the company is primarily known for sake and shochu, but it also holds Japan’s oldest whisky license. Here, malt whisky is produced in limited quantities, and it’s precisely the combination of long tradition, a coastal location, and experiments with casks that makes the distillery interesting to whisky lovers.

History

Eigashima Shuzo was founded in 1888 and started out with sake and shochu, later also producing wine and umeshu. In 1919, the company received a license for whisky production, and that year is considered the whisky-historical beginning of White Oak Distillery. In the mid-1960s, the decision was made to make its own malt whisky, and two small pot stills of 1,000 liters were installed. The modern form arrived in 1984, when production moved to a new still house on the company’s grounds. Here, the old kettles were replaced by two larger, steam-heated pot stills, and capacity was quadrupled. The former building was later converted into a warehouse. Whisky production was long seasonal, because the facility was also used for other drinks, and that still shapes the distillery’s way of working today. White Oak therefore stands as a Japanese distillery where the whisky grows out of a much broader brewing tradition.

Raw materials and production

White Oak produces only malt whisky for its own whiskies. The raw material is imported, lightly peated barley malt from Scotland, and the level of peat smoke was 3.5–5 ppm until 2014, when it was raised to 10 ppm to give the whisky a slightly more smoky and heavier style. There are also mentions of plans for unpeated malt and malt at 50 ppm. Distillation is carried out twice, following the Scottish model, in two steam-heated pot stills. New make was filled into casks at 59.5% vol. until 2012 and thereafter at 63.5% vol. Whiskey production has historically been seasonal and has taken up only around two months per year, because the company also works with sake and shochu. Grain whisky for blends is purchased from Longmorn Distillery in Scotland. It’s a setup that combines classic Scottish production technique with Japanese production logic and a clear willingness to adjust smoke levels and cask-filling strength over time.

Maturation and cask types

The whisky is matured in one of Japan’s warmest and driest areas, which means it typically reaches a sellable maturity after three to five years. The warehouse can hold up to 1,000 casks, and there were about 600 casks in 2019. White Oak is more experimental than many other Japanese distilleries; bourbon casks and sherry casks are used most, but there are also chestnut casks, cognac casks, sake casks, and tequila casks. In addition, small quantities are matured on Japanese konara oak. The wide range of cask types gives the house the ability to work with both classic and more distinctive maturation styles.

Whiskies

The range is centered around the Akashi name. There are two current Akashi blends and three current Akashi single malts: one with no age statement, one aged five years, and one three-year-old single malt matured in sake casks. In addition, there are a few single-cask bottlings, which are especially sold in Japan, as well as the historical White Oak Single Malt Whisky Akashi Aged 15 Years from 2013. Overall it is a small range, but varied, with a core of malt whisky and some blended expressions aimed at the broader market.

Whisky style and tasting profile

The profile ranges from light smoke to clearly cask-influenced character. The lightly smoky barley malt was made more heavily peated from 2014, giving the whisky a slightly heavier and more smoky character. Bourbon casks contribute classic vanilla notes, while sherry casks, cognac casks, and other specialty casks provide deeper wood influence. Sake casks and konara oak add distinctiveness, and in combination a spectrum emerges—from pure maltiness to more marked, experimental cask expressions.

Visiting the distillery

Public access for visitors is not described in the provided text.

The distillery does not receive visitors.

Philosophy and craftsmanship

Malt whisky is considered the essence of whisky, and the ambition is to deliver the best product rather than simply increase volumes. Therefore, small adjustments in smoke level, fill strength, and cask selection are made deliberately. At the same time, exchanging experience with other small Japanese whisky producers is part of the development.