Akkeshi Distilled, Furano Aged Whisky is now on sale. Here’s a review and overview of this ultra-limited edition product.
Although Kenten Jitsugyo has recently announced the construction of the Furano Distillery, the Aging Cellar has actually been in existence for some time. This release features a single cask of whisky made from spirit distilled in Akkeshi and aged for 4 years and 8 months in Furano. What kind of flavor profile does it have?
1. Product Name and Photo
Furano FOR DISCUSSION
THE FURANO FOR DISCUSSION
2. Features
This bottle was released prior to the opening of the Furano Distillery
to deepen our understanding of the aging environment in the Furano region,
and was aged for at least three years in Furano
aged in Furano for over three years.Distilled Jul 2021
Bottled Feb 2026
Cask number C2859 Wine caskSource: Excerpt from the label
Announcement for Fiscal Year 2025
Regarding the distillery we plan to build in the Furano area, we have named it “Furano Distillery” and have already registered the trademark.We have deliberately chosen to use this trademark for our upcoming Akkeshi-Distilled, Furano-aged products, adding the annotation “for discussion.” We hope to share these with our enthusiasts, inviting lively and candid discussions as we look forward to the opening of our new distillery.We hope you will experience the differences in the aging environments between Akkeshi and Furano firsthand, and we would appreciate your candid and wide-ranging feedback as we work toward the realization of the Furano Distillery.
2-1. Tasting Notes
| Aroma | A mix of lavender and chocolate soft-serve ice cream, ripe banana muffin, raspberry cream, Japanese black tea, honeysuckle |
| Taste | Hot milk with honey, brown sugar karinto, lemongrass, ginger candy |
| After taste | A complex aftertaste lingers, reminiscent of sweetness, refreshing candy, and subtle notes of sweet spices |
2-2. Product Specifications
| Alcohol Content | 48% |
| Category | Single Malt Single Cask Japanese Whisky |
| Barrel-aged | Wine cask |
| Content Capacity | 700 ml |
| Number of Bottles Sold | Unknown |
| Release Date | March 2026 |
3. Awards
No awards have been received to date.
4. Price
4-1. Price at BAR Shinkai
At “BAR Shinkai,” operated by this website, we offer the following prices per serving: 45ml for 4,950 yen, 30ml for 3,300 yen, and 15ml for 1,650 yen.
5. Manufacturer
Kenten Jitsugyo Co., Ltd.
| Established | 1982 |
| Headquarters | 1-1-1 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0011 (Inside the Imperial Hotel Tokyo) |
| Distilleries Owned | Akkeshi Distillery |
6. Distillery
Akkeshi Distillery
| Location | 4-109-2 Miyazono, Akkeshi-cho, Akkeshi-Gun, Hokkaido 088-1124 |
| Start of Operations | October 2016 |
2015 Construction of the distillery began
October 2016 Distillation began
2017 Completion of the 2nd Aging Cellar
February 2018 First product released under the Akkeshi Distillery brand. 3rd Aging Cellar
February 2020 Released the first single malt whisky, “ Sarorun Kamui.”
April: Completion of the 4th Aging Cellar.
October: Release of the first installment in the Nijushisekki series, “ Single Malt Kanro.”
2021 New malting building constructed (operational in 2022)
2023 The 5th Aging Cellar was in April.
Our concept is “whisky that inherits traditional Scottish production methods while embodying the distinctive flavors of Akkeshi.”
Deep, sea-mist-laden fog, crisp air, and abundant peat. Believing that the climate of Akkeshi, Hokkaido, would create the unique flavor of Japanese whisky we sought, we began distillation in 2016.
To fully harness the “terroir” of Hokkaido and Akkeshi in our whisky-making, we will continue to hone our craft here while engaging more deeply with the local people and nature. Barley and Mizunara oak nurtured by the Hokkaido soil, Akkeshi’s beautiful water, and peat rich in minerals—our wish is to create everything from Hokkaido and deliver a Japanese whisky unlike any other to the world.
Quote: Blender’s Attention: The Blender’s Commitment [Akkeshi Distillery]
Driven by a strong desire to “create a whisky like Islay malt using traditional Scottish methods,” we installed equipment manufactured by Forsyths of Scotland. All construction work was carried out by Forsyths craftsmen who traveled to Japan.The pot stills feature a straight-head onion shape, similar to those found at several distilleries on the Isle of Islay. Heating is via a radiator system (indirect heating), the attached condenser is a shell-and-tube type, and the mash tun is a semi-Leuter style.
All fermentation tanks (washbacks) are made of stainless steel and are intentionally designed without temperature control. The craftsmen determine the optimal timing for fermentation by relying on natural processes.
The Aging Cellars currently consist of Warehouses 1 through 5. Warehouse 1 uses a dunnage-style system, while Warehouse 2 (adjacent to the bottling building) is currently used for storing products prior to shipment. Warehouses 3 through 5 employ a rack-and-stave system. Located on a hill overlooking Akkeshi Bay, they are enveloped by the “sea mist” carrying the scent of the ocean that blankets the entire town of Akkeshi, which is expected to have a positive effect on the whisky’s character by deepening the malt’s maturation.
In addition to bourbon and sherry casks, the distillery uses the hard-to-find “Mizunara” oak. Furthermore, we are exploring every possibility, including pairing with wine and rum casks.
Furthermore, the barley used as the raw material for the whisky is grown within Akkeshi, and everything—including the peat and the wooden barrels for aging—is sourced locally. Our goal for the future is to create an “Akkeshi All-Star” whisky. As part of a new initiative, in August 2021, we began a pilot project to age spirit distilled at the Akkeshi Distillery in Furano.What kind of changes will the spirit matured in Furano bring about? This is the true essence of terroir —making the most not only of the local character of Akkeshi but also of the great individuality of “Hokkaido.” By incorporating the concept of “terroir”—a term wine connoisseurs are likely familiar with—into whisky production, and by fusing the “character of Akkeshi” with the “character of Hokkaido,” the creation of whisky that harnesses the terroir of these lands is both captivating and holds limitless potential.
Lake Akkeshi and the Bekanbeushi Wetlands surrounding Akkeshi Town are wetlands registered under the Ramsar Convention. The Ramsar Convention is a treaty concerning wetlands adopted on February 2, 1971, in Ramsar, Iran. Its purpose is to conserve and wisely use wetlands—which serve as habitats for wild animals, including waterfowl—through international cooperation.
Our distillery is committed to protecting this rich natural environment and coexisting with it.
The water intake for our whisky comes from the Homakai River, a tributary of the Ohoro River that flows near the distillery. The surrounding area is a marshland and home to the water milfoil, a plant said to thrive only in clear streams. Its small white flowers, which bloom in summer, symbolize the abundance of water. This water nurtures Akkeshi’s whisky.
Source: Akkeshi Distillery Official Website
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Please also see the information on the Akkeshi Distillery below.
7. Summary
This marks the long-awaited release of the “Akkeshi Distilled, Furano Aged” whisky, which had been previously announced.
This single cask bottling features spirit distilled at the Akkeshi Distillery and aged for over three years in Furano, Hokkaido.
This is not merely a limited release; it is a highly intriguing project bottle designed to test the aging environment for the planned Furano Distillery.
True to its name, “for discussion,” this bottle is also intended to encourage enthusiasts to reflect on the aging potential of the Furano region. What kind of whisky will be produced when the Furano Distillery actually begins operations in the future? This experimental release invites us to imagine that future.
Akkeshi and Furano: though both in Hokkaido, they offer distinct aging characteristics shaped by their different environments.
This is a bottle we hope whisky lovers will enjoy while experiencing those differences firsthand.
■ Please be sure to check out our other articles on “Akkeshi Distillery and Akkeshi Whisky.”
