Meiyo Single Grain Whisky 17 Year Old

A serious Single Grain Whiskey from Japan with a quality and aging to match any Single Malt.

The Kumesen Distillery — Kumesen Syuzo — was founded in Okinawa, Japan, in 1952. Their first product was Awamori — a beverage distilled from special Indica rice and served at 30-40% ABV. Then in 1989 they began to age their Awamori in oak casks, creating a a rice-based Whisky. The products are exceptionally popular in the Japanese islands and the rich flavor of their products are building a global fan base.

First, the word “Meiyo” translates as “honor,” and the Japanese take honor VERY seriously. So make no mistake — even though Meiyo Single Grain Whisky 17 Year Old is made from Indica rice, it is NOT a rice Wine and it is NOT Saki. It is a special, flavor rice treated like any other premium grain used in Whisky-making. The Spirit is then aged for a full seventeen years in ex-Bourbon barrels and we think that you will be pleasantly surprised by the flavorful results. If you have been following the rise of Japanese Whiskies, you owe it to yourself to give this one a shot… literally.

Smartass corner:
Awamori — the base Spirit — gets its name from the fermentation process. The word translates loosely as “rising swelling bubbles.”