At dekantā, we’re absolutely delighted to announce that we have formed a partnership with the award-winning Ontake Distillery to bring their incredible whisky to enthusiasts around the world, while helping the distillery build a passionate community of cask owners.

The partnership will see dekantā act as the Exclusive Global Supplier of Ontake whisky casks, with two initial offerings – first-fill Oloroso ex-Solera Butts and American Virgin Oak Casks. Cask ownership comes with many perks, including regular sampling and visitation rights along with a membership for the Ontake Distillery’s beautiful 18-hole golf course, which is reserved exclusively for cask owners and friends.

Nishi Shuzo & The Ontake Distillery

The Ontake Distillery is situated approximately 400m above sea level in the center of the Satsuma Peninsula, in the Kagoshima Prefecture. It is surrounded by lush green forests and is blessed with stunning vistas including an incredible view of the Sakurajima volcano. In fact, it is from the volcano that it takes its name, with “Ontake” collectively referring to the mountain’s three peaks: Kitadake, Nakadake, and Minamidake.

It was founded in 2018 by Nishi Shuzo, a company that dates back to 1845 and has produced a number of award-winning shochu and sake expressions, most notably the Tenshi no Yuuwaky Shochu which won a Superior Gold Award at The Wine and Spirits Competition 2020. Their products are available in bars and restaurants around Japan and are widely regarded as some of the best on the market.

Nishi Shuzo also expanded into wine in 2018, becoming the successor of  New Zealand’s Urlar winery. 

The Ontake Distillery itself was built with little expense spared. The site includes a modern distillery, blending lab and state-of-the-art warehousing with completion of a hotel, restaurant and, the ultimate prize, an 18-hole golf course scheduled for 2026. 

Thus far they have released two whiskies into the market – the Ontake First Edition ex-Solera Butt and the Ontake Bourbon Barrel, with the former winning a Gold award at the San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition, an early sign of the distillery’s potential. 

Whisky Production

The Ontake Distillery is a modern whisky distillery with a meticulous approach to whisky production. With a plethora of experience in other sectors of the drinks industry, Nishi Shuzo has brought all of that expertise and more to the world of whisky. However, they are not simply another sake or shochu producer looking to take advantage of the Japanese whisky boom. 

Nishi-San, the owner of Nishi Shuzo, is something of a perfectionist, so he approaches every project in isolation, ensuring the products they produce are of the highest quality. It is his view that one lazy or bad product could tarnish his family business’ reputation and so a focus on quality is essential. 

To achieve this, after much testing, he hand selected three yeast strains that he thought would create a pure and clean whisky. He also had Miyaki stills installed, with upward lyne arms, meaning that the heavier elements of the distillate flow downwards, ensuring only the lightest, cleanest notes make it into the final new make spirit that goes into the cask. 

The distillery is using a range of casks to mature the spirit, including American Virgin Oak, Mizunara and ex-bourbon barrels, but it’s another particular cask type that really catches the eye. The First-Fill Oloroso ex-Solera cask.

Finding ex-Solera cask whisky on the market is not particularly easy. That’s because finding ex-Solera casks is about as hard for the distillery as it is for you and me. Bodegas (Sherry houses) rarely want to sell their Solera casks because using them for decades or even centuries is a vital part of the system.

The Ontake Distillery is quite rightly tight-lipped on their source of these outstanding casks, but the First Edition ex-Solera release is evidence of the quality. 

With an award already in the bag, a careful and measured approach to whisky production, an unrivaled visiting experience and more exciting releases on the horizon, the sky’s the limit for this inspiring new whisky distillery. 

Building a Community

At dekantā, it’s our goal to bring the Ontake Distillery story to enthusiasts around the world while building a community of passionate cask owners who will be able to enjoy owning outstanding whisky along with all of the unique perks.

It’s a truly special distillery with huge potential that allows you to enjoy the whisky enthusiast’s perfect day – a round of golf with friends in the Japanese mountains, with a staggering view of a  volcano, before returning to the Owner’s Room to sample your cask and enjoy delicious cuisine. It really doesn’t get much better than that.

To find out more about The Ontake Distillery or to register your interest in cask ownership, click here.