On Thursday 19th March, Kiyokawa Distillery hosted a launch event at the historic Fujiya Gohonjin in Nagano City to officially launch their first single malt whisky release, titled The Cask. The event brought together local business leaders, whisky enthusiasts, members of the press, government officials, and friends and partners of the distillery.

The evening commenced with guests entering the epic 17th century building and being served welcome drinks - Kiyokawa’s delicious gin and vodka expressions were those on offer and they were resoundingly praised by those in attendance.

The Fujiya Gohonjin has stood for almost 400 years, with much of the internal decor being maintained and preserved. The wooden ceilings, panelled doors and immaculately designed gardens made for a truly unique location that set the scene for the evening ahead.

Guests were soon invited to make their way through to the restaurant, where they were greeted by a centrepiece of three stacked Kiyokawa casks, surrounded by tables with a view of an open plan kitchen. At the back of the room stood a table adorned with over 30 bottles and boxes of the brand new release, along with decorations created from the distillery’s homegrown barley.

Then came the most important part of the evening - the whisky introduction and tasting. The Cask is a single cask release made from 100% homegrown barley, grown right outside the distillery by their own team of farmers. It was matured in an ex-Pedro Ximenez cask that has imparted an array of sweet and sticky notes onto the smooth, fruity distillate.

The nose, the palate and finish all have incredible length for a whisky of just three years old, with the aromas and flavours continuing to develop for some time as you taste.

At the heart of this bottle lies an extraordinary agricultural story. The barley itself was developed in collaboration with the institute of agriculture, resulting in a completely unique strain capable of growing beneath heavy snowfall. In Iiyama, where winter brings metres of snow and summers bring intense heat, this resilience is both impressive and essential.

The town’s very name, Iiyama, meaning “rice mountain,” hints at a long-held belief that rice was the only viable crop in such a climate. That this bespoke barley now grows there, enduring extremes that would defeat conventional strains, speaks to Kiyokawa’s innovation.

To honor the locality of the whisky, it was bottled in locally made glass, with hand made washi-paper labels which were produced from the old barely husks, highlighting Kiyokawa’s dedication to a sustainable approach

Once the whisky had been tasted, a 6 course tasting menu from chef Michio Nakamura was presented. Nakamura San trained for years in Sicily under a Michelin star winning chef and each and every plate that arrived from the kitchen was immaculate. The whisky ice cream, made with the same liquid that was being celebrated on the night, was a particular highlight.

Just when it seemed the evening couldn’t get any better, a group of Taiko drummers took the stage. Their high-energy performance built to a powerful finale, as the lead drummer closed by playing to the casks in the centre of the room - an unexpected gesture of honour.

Kiyokawa’s The Cask is limited to just 398 bottles. To add it to your whisky collection, click here.