YAZŪKA” produced by Kazuya Yoshii, the second “TALI” and “BURN”. Released by Nagahama Distillery on November 8. Features, price, and how to purchase are explained.
YAZŪKA, a collaboration whiskey series by Nagahama Distillery and Kazuya Yoshii (THE YELLOW MONKEY), was released in 2021 and has been well received. Kazuya Yoshii celebrated the 20th anniversary of his solo debut on October 1, and to commemorate the occasion, the second series will be released on November 8. In the previous two albums, “FATHER” and “BEAUTIFUL,” Kazuya Yoshii’s own life and his journey were projected onto the whiskey. The contents of the album are highly anticipated.
１．How to purchase
It will be sold at liquor stores nationwide and on the Nagahama Romantic website in limited quantities of 5,000 bottles each.
Special pre-order sales will begin at noon on October 20 (Fri.) on a special website, so if you want to be sure of purchasing a bottle, please make a reservation.
The sales page is here.
The product page will be accessible from noon on October 20.
２．YAZŪKA “TALI” and “BURN
２-１．TALI
TALI” was released in 2003 as the first single under the name YOSHII LOVINSON. The song expresses his determination as a solo artist, the expectations of those around him, the immense pressure he is under, and his various mixed feelings in an alternative soundscape. In order to express the complex and delicately intertwined world of the song, which was created with the aim of creating a “minimal one-person orchestra,” the chief blender of Nagahama Distillery went through a trial-and-error process of combining various types of whiskey, and finally created a recipe composed entirely of malt whiskey. The message of the song is expressed in a delicate balance, and the strong malt flavor creates a complex and deep taste, resulting in a whiskey that can be “enjoyed in a private space,” as Mr. Yoshii intended.
Tasting comment
A shimmering amber color. The top note is very fruity, reminiscent of fresh muscatel and tropical fruits. Calm and mellow aroma derived from the original wine casks. The unconventional and multi-layered aromas from the original sherry casks add an alternative and versatile impression to this whisky. The palate is smooth, with vanilla and white flowery tenderness, and elegant and mellow flavors of honey, nuts, and spices. The voluptuous and rich taste from the malt, which is felt in the aftertaste, makes it more luxurious, like a song echoing in the spotlight.
Citation:Nagahama Romantic Beer Kazuya Yoshii Special Page
Citation:Nagahama Romantic Beer Kazuya Yoshii Special Page
| Product name | YAZŪKA World Malt “TALI” Ride on AMAHAGAN Selected by Kazuya Yoshii |
| Liquor Type | malt whisky |
| raw materials | Malt (made in England) |
| Barrel Type |
Wine barrels, sherry casks |
| number of bottles | Limited edition of 5,000 |
| alcohol content | 47％ |
| Price | 8,800 yen (tax included) |
| manufactory | Nagahama Distillery |
| manufacturer | Nagahama Romantic Beer Co. |
２-２．BURN
BURN” is a song that symbolizes THE YELLOW MONKEY at its peak and fully expresses Mr. Yoshii’s masculine and bewitching charm. In order to amplify the fiery passion of this song with whiskey, we focused on a technique called “charring. Charring” is a process in which the inside of a barrel is burned by a flame, which accelerates the elution of the woody components of the barrel wood. The staff of Nagahama Distillery personally “charred” the casks to be used for post-aging. The smoky flavor, sweet aroma of nuts and vanilla, and the fullness reminiscent of honey are brought about by the BURN. The smoke is then combined with a smoky type of base alcohol to create a passionate flavor.
Tasting comment
The wine has a bright amber color. The top notes are vanilla and burnt caramel. The aromas are sweet and savory, reminiscent of blood orange pound cake, with accents of nuts and walnuts from the original sherry casks. The lingering smoky essence, reminiscent of a bonfire, further enhances the overall effect. In the attack, woodiness and power derived from the oak, smoky taste like smoked and nitreous smoke. This is combined with sweet vanilla and honey tastes to create a richer, richer impression. In the aftertaste, red fruits combine with the gay smoky flavor of the music to give a somewhat melancholy impression to the whole.Reference: Nagahama Romantic Beer Kazuya Yoshii special page
画像出典：長濱浪漫ビール吉井和哉 特設ページ
| Product name | YAZŪKA World Malt “BURN” Ride on AMAHAGAN Selected by Kazuya Yoshii |
| Liquor Type | Blended whisky |
| raw materials | Malt (made in England) |
| Barrel Type |
sherry casks |
| number of bottles | Limited edition of 5,000 |
| alcohol content | 47％ |
| Price | 8,800 yen (tax included) |
| manufactory | Nagahama Distillery |
| manufacturer | Nagahama Romantic Beer Co. |
３.About Nagahama Distillery
Nagahama Distillery
| Location | 14-1 Asahi-cho, Nagahama-shi, Shiga 526-0056 |
| Let’s get this show on the road. | November 1, 2016 (2016) |
Nagahama Distillery, one of the smallest distilleries in Japan, located in the northern part of Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture, is a craft beer distillery and restaurant. There are few distilleries, including major whiskey distilleries, that have their own restaurant, and craft whiskey distilleries are very rare.
The unique shape of the pot stills installed in the distillery reminds us of the very origin of whiskey making.
Nagahama Distillery was originally a rice warehouse from the Edo period (1603-1868), and began making beer in 1996. Later, in 2016, facilities for whiskey production were installed. The building has a vaulted ceiling, with a saccharification tank and distiller on the first floor, and a crusher and fermentation tank on the second floor.
There are two pot stills for first distillation and one for redistillation, and the heating system is an alambic type pot still shaped like an indirect steam gourd, a pot still often used for distilling brandy. Among Japanese craft distilleries, Nagahama Distillery is the only one currently using this alambic type pot still. One of the characteristics of this distillery is that it has the advantage of producing a clear, soft, and less cloying liquor.
From its establishment to the present, a lot of trial and error has gone on. Major changes include a change in the malt crush ratio and a change in fermentation time, which was initially 60 hours but has now been increased to 72 hours. Also, the number of distillers was increased from two to three. When the distillery was founded, the first distillation vessel had a capacity of 1,000 liters and the redistillation vessel had a capacity of 500 liters, but the redistillation vessel was also replaced, and all three distillation vessels are now 1,000 liters. Also, following the example of Scottish distilleries, the redistillation kettles are rarely cleaned. We have made many changes in the approximately four years since our establishment, including the following.
Image source: Nagahama Distillery Official Facebook
Image source: Nagahama Distillery Official Facebook
Image source: Nagahama Distillery Official Facebook
Image source: Nagahama Distillery Official Facebook
引用：長濱浪漫ビール
For more information about Nagahama Distillery and other distilleries, please see this article.
４.”YAZŪKA” series released in the past
This site also has a review article of the YAZŪKA series released in the past.
Please refer to this article as well.
Lastly: Recommended Books on Japanese Whisky
If you want to learn more about Japanese whisky, which is a global trend, we highly recommend these books.
(1).Whisky Galore Vol.29 December 2021 issue
In the December 2021 issue of Whisky Galore, published by the Whisky Culture Research Institute, we report on 11 Japanese craft distilleries, including some that are open to the public for the first time, under the title of “Japanese Whisky Craft Frontline,” the first of three consecutive issues. Why did the popularity of Japanese whisky and the craft boom occur? We will examine with interviews. Chichibu Distillery / Chichibu No.2 Distillery / Mars Shinshu Distillery / Mars Tsunuki Distillery / Kanosuke Distillery / Hioki Distillery / Ontake Distillery / Osuzuyama Distillery / Kaikyo Distillery / Hanyu Distillery / Konosu Distillery
(2). Japanese Whisky as an Education for Business
This is a book written by Mamoru Tsuchiya, a world-famous whisky critic and representative of the Whisky Culture Research Institute, titled “Japanese Whisky as a Culture that Works for Business” .
The book covers the basics of whisky, the introduction of whisky to Japan, the birth of Japanese whisky, advertising strategies and the rise of Japanese whisky, and the current rise of craft distilleries. This is a book that summarizes Japanese whisky in a very easy to understand way.
(3). Whisky and I (Masataka Taketsuru)
Masataka Taketsuru, the founder of Nikka Whisky, devoted his life to brewing whisky in Japan. This is a revised and reprinted version of the autobiography of a man who simply loved whisky and talked about himself. The book vividly depicts the days when he went to Scotland alone to study as a young man and overcame many hardships to complete Japanese whisky, as well as his companion, Rita.
(4). A Letter of Challenge from a New Generation Distillery
Launching in 2019. With the world experiencing an unprecedented whisky boom, what were the managers of craft distilleries thinking and what were their thoughts as they took on the challenge of making whisky? This book tells the stories of 13 craft distillery owners, including Ichiro Hido of Venture Whisky, famous for his Ichirose Malt, who inspired the birth of craft distilleries in Japan.
(5). Whiskey Rising
This is the Japanese version of Whisky Risng, published in the US in 2016, with much updated content. Not only does it describe the history of Japanese whisky in detail, but it also includes data on all the distilleries in Japan, including the craft distilleries that have been founded in recent years. The book also includes descriptions of the legendary bottles that have been released, as well as information on bars where Japanese whisky can be found.
