Single Malt Japanese Whisky Setouchi Oloroso Sherry Cask | First Release

Excerpt from manufacturer's materials

A Setouchi-born single malt created from the pursuit of "making a truly authentic whisky that we can confidently say is delicious."

Single Malt Japanese Whisky Setouchi was born from the desire to "make a truly authentic whisky that we can confidently say is delicious." It was created by thoroughly adhering to every step of the whisky-making process, utilizing the experience and techniques in sake brewing that Setouchi Distillery has cultivated over 120 years.

Commitment to Ingredients and Production Methods

We carefully select the highest quality non-peated malt as the raw material. For water, we use subsoil water from the independent peak "Haigamine" in Kure, our local area, which is rich in minerals. We also paid special attention to fermentation, leveraging over 120 years of experience in sake brewing.

While wort fermentation is generally carried out using only distillery yeast, which has a high alcohol production capacity, we also use ale yeast. Although ale yeast has a lower alcohol production capacity than distillery yeast, it imparts a fruity and rich aroma. By fermenting slowly for 1.5 times the usual fermentation time (90-114 hours), we achieved a rich aroma and flavor.

For distillation, we use small (1,000L) copper pot stills, resulting in a smooth and aromatic whisky with suppressed off-flavors. For the middle cut during redistillation, which significantly influences the flavor of the new pot (new make spirit), instead of the high cut that is mainstream in whisky making, we deliberately use a low cut that incorporates more of the tail part, making the flavor richer and more complex.

Oloroso Sherry Cask Maturation × Single Cask

Instead of common bourbon barrels for storage, we chose "Oloroso sherry casks" which impart deep richness and a sense of maturation to the whisky. While Oloroso sherry casks typically have a capacity of 500L, smaller casks promote faster maturation. Therefore, we use smaller 225L casks called "hogsheads" to allow for a greater sense of maturation. This is then aged for over three years, directly influenced by the four seasons of Setouchi, and finished without coloring or chill-filtration.

As a result, this whisky is more prone to sediment and cloudiness compared to ordinary whiskies, but we intentionally leave these components as a source of umami, allowing you to enjoy the whisky's authentic flavor. Furthermore, even whiskies matured in the same type of cask generally have slightly different flavors from cask to cask. Therefore, it is common for single malt whiskies to blend spirits from different casks to average out the flavors. However, at Setouchi Distillery, we want you to enjoy the individual differences in flavor from each cask, so we release our whisky as single cask, without blending the spirits.

"Setouchi" as it is

The bottle design features a sleek silhouette inspired by the gentle sway of waves and the island breezes of Setouchi. The brand's symbol, the "Setouchi" logo, is prominently displayed in the center of the label, evoking serene and beautiful scenery. This is a refined and sophisticated bottle, perfect for gifting.

From Setouchi, an authentic whisky experience.