A sake brewery takes on chestnut-cask whisky: Rintaro
Chiyomusubi Shuzo, a long-established sake brewery in Tottori, has released Rintaro Chestnut, a single malt made with sake yeast and aged for three years in chestnut casks.
Whisky made by sake breweries is attracting attention. In April 2026, Chiyomusubi Shuzo of Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture, on the Sea of Japan coast of western Japan, released the single malt “Chiyomusubi Single Malt Japanese Whisky Rintaro Chestnut 3 Years”. It is matured in casks made of chestnut wood, which is rare in whisky.
Whisky born from sake-brewing know-how
Chiyomusubi Shuzo was founded in 1865 and celebrated its 160th anniversary in 2025. It set up its distilling division in 1984 and began making whisky in spring 2021. The brewery uses carefully selected malted barley and ferments it with sake yeast. This approach, unique to a sake brewery, aims for a distinctive flavour. The name “Rintaro” comes from Rintaro Okasora, the third-generation president who laid the foundations of the brewery. The company already exports to more than 30 countries.
Chestnut casks and a soft sweetness
Most whisky is matured in oak casks. Chestnut casks, by contrast, are said to soften the mouthfeel and to add a gentle sweetness and a light toasty aroma. According to the brewery, the palate is smooth, with a depth reminiscent of nuts and caramel. It is made from 100% malted barley, and no caramel colouring is used. Makoto Yoneda, the whisky toji (head of production), says the team is committed to new casks of domestic wood and to single-cask bottling (bottling whisky from one cask only). This is the fifth release, and it comes from casks of Japanese chestnut. Alongside the standard edition at 50% ABV (700 ml, 17,600 yen including tax), a limited cask-strength edition at 59.8% has also been prepared. The previous sherry-cask edition sold out three and a half hours after pre-orders opened.
A commitment to “genuine Japanese whisky”
Under Japan’s liquor tax law, the definition of where whisky comes from is not as strict as it is for Scotch. As a result, there have been cases where products made simply by bottling spirit produced overseas in Japan were sold as “Japanese”. In response, the Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association has set voluntary standards. These require that malted barley is always used, that saccharification, fermentation and distillation take place in Japan, and that the whisky is matured for at least three years in wooden casks in Japan, among other conditions. Chiyomusubi Shuzo carries out every stage in Japan and makes its whisky in line with these standards.
For European readers, this bottle is a good way to understand the trend of sake breweries entering the whisky world. This release is sold only through the brewery’s own online store, and production is limited, so it is not easy to obtain in Europe. Even so, when you see the words “Japanese Whisky” on a bottle or a specialist shop’s list, try checking where the distilling and maturation took place. That alone should make it easier to choose the genuine article. The nutty sweetness typical of chestnut casks may come through more clearly with a little water. It will also be worth watching for occasions when Chiyomusubi Shuzo’s sake and whisky are featured side by side.
Sources
This article was written by The Sake Wire editorial team, summarising the public sources listed above. Images are our own.
Try Akita sake in the EU — from €6
180 ml tasting bottles and full-size sake, wine, beer and gin, shipped from Amsterdam within the EU.
