Japanese 'bourbon' from Mishima: two young new releases

When people think of Japanese whisky, many picture single malts modelled on Scotch. Yet at the foot of Mount Fuji, in Mishima in Shizuoka Prefecture, a small distillery called Distillery Water Dragon focuses on making whisky in the style of American bourbon. Its operator, Whiskey&Co. (headquartered in Tokyo), has announced that it will release two new additions to its under-two-years-old series “Little K” on 11 November 2026: “Little K 2026 2nd” and a new series, “Little K mellowship”.

A whisky named for its youth

To be called “straight bourbon” in the United States, a whiskey must be aged for at least two years in new white oak casks. While making whisky in the same way under the banner of “Japanese ‘Bourbon Whiskey’ Style”, Whiskey&Co. realised that the younger stage before that threshold has a charm of its own. In Japan, short-aged whisky is commonly called “new born”, but this distillery deliberately chose the name “Little K”.

With each release, the series has gained in ageing time. The first edition, in June 2025, blended spirit aged for 10 and 13 months. This fourth edition, “2026 2nd”, vats together nine casks aged for 23 months in new wood, the longest ageing in the series so far. The first edition won a Master Medal at the international competition The World Whisky Masters 2025, and the second won the top Gold prize at the Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition 2026. All three releases up to the third have sold out.

A soft new series made with wheat

Until now, Little K has been made from corn, rye and malted barley. The new “mellowship” series uses wheat in place of rye. Rye gives spiciness, while wheat leads to a sweet, soft mouthfeel. The producer also names a long-lasting finish as a feature.

Both come in 375 ml bottles at 4,950 yen each (tax included). “2026 2nd” is bottled at 61% ABV and limited to 4,300 bottles; “mellowship” is 54% and limited to 2,200 bottles.

Made in Mishima, for Mishima

Whiskey&Co.’s whisky is billed as “born in Mishima, raised in Mishima, sold only in the Mishima area”. It is distilled at the Mishima distillery and matured in casks in the town itself, and over the counter it can be bought only in Mishima and its surroundings. For restaurants and bars, however, it is supplied wholesale across Japan. In addition, holders of the company’s digital tokens can buy it online with priority. The company’s goal is to spread small, locally rooted urban distilleries across the country.

Finding a bottle of Little K in Europe is difficult for now. Still, the series points to a new and still young current: “Japanese bourbon-style” whisky. The appeal of short-aged new-cask whisky is that you can taste the sweetness of the cask, such as vanilla and caramel, alongside the vigour of young grain. Comparing an easily available American rye-containing bourbon with a “wheated” type will make the difference mellowship is aiming for easier to grasp. As the strength is high, adding a little water to see how the aroma changes is also recommended. It will be worth watching how this series, which has extended its ageing step by step, fares in future competitions.