Island maturation and Mizunara casks: Nagahama Distillery's new blend

Nagahama Distillery in Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, released a new blended whisky, “Amahanyan Mizunara Cask Blend”, on 20 October 2026. It combines whisky matured on an island in a lake with whisky aged in casks made from Mizunara, a Japanese oak. This is the third collaboration with Hikonyan, the local mascot of nearby Hikone.

Whisky matured on an island in the lake

Nagahama Distillery began operating in 2016 within the premises of the local brewery Nagahama Roman Beer. It stands close to Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest lake, and Mount Ibuki, and the company describes it as one of the smallest craft distilleries in the country. It pairs a small copper alembic-style pot still with a very thin lyne arm (the pipe that carries vapour to the condenser) to produce a rich, full-bodied spirit. One of the pillars of this blend is whisky filled into bourbon barrels and matured on Chikubu Island in Lake Biwa. According to the distillery, the island’s humid environment developed an elegant aroma.

Mizunara casks and overseas whisky

The other pillar is whisky matured in Mizunara casks in the Nagahama warehouse. Mizunara is an oak native to Japan, known for readily giving aromas reminiscent of sandalwood and incense. To these two whiskies, selected overseas whiskies have been added in the blend. The ingredients are grain and malt, the strength is 47% ABV and the volume is 200ml. The recommended retail price in Japan is 2,000 yen (excluding tax). The tasting notes describe sweet aromas of vanilla, coconut and ripe banana first, followed by the incense-wood and toasty oak notes typical of Mizunara. The palate is said to be smooth, with honeyed sweetness, oriental spice and a hint of smoke leaving a long finish.

Two lucky charms: the beckoning cat and Benzaiten

The bottle carries two good-luck symbols. The first is a legend about Ii Naotaka, a feudal lord of the Edo period, who was beckoned by a cat into a temple and, moments later, escaped harm when lightning struck the tree under which he had been sheltering from the rain. This tale lies behind Hikonyan, known as a beckoning cat. The other is Benzaiten, enshrined on Chikubu Island and regarded as the goddess of fortune and prosperous business. The label shows Hikonyan holding the red-coloured konnyaku that is indispensable to Shiga’s oden.

Sales are limited to the Nagahama Roman Beer shop and souvenir shops in Shiga Prefecture, so it will be hard to find in Europe. Still, it is worth noting the combination of island maturation and Japanese Mizunara casks, and the fact that the distillery states openly that overseas whisky was used. If you come across Mizunara-cask whisky at a specialist shop in Europe, it is worth nosing it carefully. At 47% ABV, a few drops of water may open up the incense-wood and spice aromas.