ANA International Flight Duty-Free Pre-Order Service exclusive: The 3rd installment of the HOKUSAI NORTH COLORS series from Akkeshi arrived. Reviewing the label design and taste.
The 3rd installment is “Kokiake”
It refers to a deep, deep red color dyed with madder and purple.
It resembles the hue of the western sky dyed by the sunset seen from the highlands of Akkeshi.
1. Product Name and Photo
Akkeshi Single Malt Japanese Whisky HOKUSAI NORTH COLORS “KOKIAKE”
AKKESHI Single Malt Japanese Whisky HOKUSAI NORTH COLORS “KOKIAKE” 
2. Features
About Akkeshi “HOKUSAI NORTH COLORS”was born from the concept: “What if Hokusai had visited the land of Akkeshi…?”
This distinctive series of three expressions, each with its own unique flavor, aroma, and color, paints a picture of Hokkaido’s nature and seasons through Hokusai’s eyes.
While maintaining the craftsmanship we have always valued, this represents a new challenge that sets itself apart from conventional products, strongly emphasizing fusion with art and culture.
Furthermore, the packaging for each bottle features a clever design: placing all three bottles side by side reveals the complete panorama of the world-renowned painting “Fugaku Sanjurokkei Kanagawa Okinamiura” series. This makes it a noteworthy product, an art piece that delights both the palate and the eye.
Aroma: Bright yuzu peel, watermelon granité, mandarin compote, spinach simmered in white dashi, fluffy thick omelet sushi, sweet-salty mitarashi sauce, burnt aroma of brown sugar karinto
Taste: Honey-marinated orange, gentle acidity of thinly sliced lemon, bitter caramelized sugar, lime-squeezed carpaccio
Finish: The roundness of sugar syrup, the toasty aroma of buttered toast, the simple sweetness of sweet red bean paste, a pinch of roasted salt’s mineral notes
2-1. Tasting Notes
| Aroma | Japanese citrus, mitarashi dango, miso manju, lemon-lime soda, |
| Flavor | Blood orange, honey lemon, anko butter taiyaki, roasted salt |
| After taste | The tartness of Japanese citrus and the savory sweetness of traditional sweets linger complexly and long alongside the saltiness |
2-2. Product Specifications
| Alcohol Content | 55% |
| Types of Alcohol | Single Malt Japanese Whisky |
| Type of liquor inside the barrel | Unknown |
| Content capacity | 700ml |
| Number of Bottles Sold | Unknown |
| Release Date | December 2025 |
3. Awards
No awards have been received at this time.
4. Price
4-1. Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price
| Product Name | Akkeshi Single Malt Japanese Whisky HOKUSAI NORTH COLORS “Kokiake” |
| Content capacity | 700ml |
| Suggested Retail Price | ¥44,000 (tax included) |
4-2. Resale Price on Mercari
Resale prices on Mercari are listed around ¥43,000. ( As of 2/17/2026 )
4-3. Yahoo! Auctions Winning Bid Price
The latest Yahoo! Auctions price shows winning bids around¥36,000. ( As of February 17, 2026 )
4-4. Rakuten, Yahoo Shopping, Amazon ※Updated November 28, 2024
Online retailers currently have listings at ¥58,000. ( As of February 17, 2026 )
4-5. Price at BAR Shinkai
At “BAR Shinkai,” operated by this site, we offer it per glass: 45ml: ¥9,240, 30ml: ¥6,160, 15ml: ¥3,080.
5. Manufacturer
Kenten Jitsugyo Co., Ltd.
| Established | 1982 |
| Headquarters | 1-1-1 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0011, within The Imperial Hotel Tokyo |
| Owned Distillery | Akkeshi Distillery |
6. Distillery
Akkeshi Distillery
| Location | 4-109-2 Miyazono, Akkeshi-cho, Akkeshi-gun, Hokkaido 088-1124 |
| Start of Operations | October 2016 |
2015 Distillery construction commenced
2016 Distillation commenced in October
2017 2nd Maturation Warehouse Completed
February 2018: First product released as Akkeshi Distillery. 3rd Maturation Warehouse Completed
February 2020: Released first single malt whisky, ” Sarorun Kamui.”
April: 4th Maturation Warehouse Completed.
October: Released the first installment of the Nijushisekki series, ” Single Malt Kanro “.
2021 New Malting Facility Construction (Operational in 2022)
2023 April: Completion of the 5th Maturation Warehouse.
The concept is “a whisky that inherits Scotland’s traditional methods while embodying the distinctive flavor of Akkeshi.”
We began distilling in 2016, believing that the climate of Akkeshi, Hokkaido—its deep, salty fog, clear air, and abundant peat—would create the unique flavor of Japanese whisky we sought.
To harness the “terroir” of Hokkaido and Akkeshi in our whisky-making, we will continue honing our craft here while deepening our connection with the local people and nature. Barley and Mizunara oak nurtured by Hokkaido’s soil, Akkeshi’s beautiful water, and peat rich in minerals. Our wish is to craft everything from Hokkaido and deliver a Japanese whisky unlike any other to the world.
Quote: Blender’s Attention [Akkeshi Distillery]
Driven by the strong desire to “create whisky like Islay malt using traditional Scottish methods,” we introduced equipment from Forsyth of Scotland. All construction was carried out by Forsyth craftsmen who came to Japan.The pot stills feature a straight-head onion shape, similar to those found at several Islay distilleries. Heating is radiator-style (indirect heating), the attached condensers are shell-and-tube type, and the mash tuns are semi-roster style.
All fermentation tanks (washbacks) are stainless steel, deliberately designed without temperature control. Fermentation is left to nature, with the craftsman determining the optimal timing.
The maturation warehouses currently consist of Warehouses 1 through 5. Warehouse 1 uses a dunnage system. Warehouse 2 (adjacent to the bottling facility) is currently used for storing products awaiting shipment. Warehouses 3 through 5 employ a rack system. Located on a hill overlooking Akkeshi Bay, they benefit from the sea mist enveloping the entire town of Akkeshi. This mist carries the scent of the ocean, which is expected to positively influence the maturation of the malt and enhance the whisky’s characteristics.
Maturation casks include bourbon and sherry, plus the hard-to-obtain Mizunara oak. We are also exploring every possibility, such as pairing with wine and rum casks.
Furthermore, the barley used as the whisky’s raw material is cultivated within Akkeshi itself. Everything, including the peat and the wooden casks for maturation, is sourced from Akkeshi. The future goal is to create an “Akkeshi All-Star” whisky. As part of new initiatives, in August 2021, a trial project began to mature the distilled spirit from the Akkeshi Distillery in Furano.What changes will the spirit aged in Furano bring? This truly embodies terroir —leveraging not just the local character of Akkeshi, but the great individuality of “Hokkaido” itself. Incorporating the concept of “terroir,” familiar to wine connoisseurs, into whisky, fusing the “character of Akkeshi” with the “character of Hokkaido,” and crafting whisky that harnesses the terroir of these lands is fascinating and holds infinite promise.
Lake Akkeshi and the Bekanbeushi Marsh surrounding Akkeshi-Chou are registered wetlands under the Ramsar Convention. The Ramsar Convention, adopted on February 2, 1971, in Ramsar, Iran, is a treaty concerning wetlands. Its purpose is the conservation and wise use of wetlands, which serve as habitats for waterfowl and other wildlife, through international cooperation.
Our distillery also aims to protect this rich natural environment and coexist with it.
The water intake for our whisky comes from the Homakai River, an upper tributary of the Ohoro River flowing near the distillery. This area is a wetland habitat for the rare water plant, the “Baikamo”, known to thrive only in pristine streams. Its small white flowers blooming in summer symbolize abundant water. This water nurtures Akkeshi whisky.
Source: Akkeshi Distillery Official Website
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For more information on Akkeshi Distillery, please see below↓
7. Summary
Akkeshi HOKUSAI NORTH COLORS “Kokiake”. The final installment of the trilogy features a rich, sticky sweetness reminiscent of red bean paste, a hint of saltiness, and the distinct flavor profile characteristic of Akkeshi’s sherry casks.
While retaining freshness, the rich sweetness reveals surprising new flavors and aromas the more you drink, making it a remarkably long-lasting experience.
While few may compare all three bottles, tasting them sequentially brings the “story of colors” into sharper focus.
The progression from pale, delicate hues, gradually deepening, and culminating in this deep crimson seems to express not merely differences in maturation, but the very gradations of Akkeshi’s terroir itself.
Just as Katsushika Hokusai’s brush captured a fleeting moment of nature, this whisky series encapsulates the essence of the Akkeshi land.
■ Be sure to check out other articles about the “Akkeshi Distillery · Akkeshi Whisky”.
