The bottle I open most often on my home shelf right now is AMAHAGAN World Malt Metalic Label Edition. It's a limited release in the AMAHAGAN line β a world blended malt range from Nagahama Distillery, in Nagahama, Shiga, that mixes the distillery's own malt with imported malt from overseas.
Nagahama Distillery started production in 2016 and is one of Japan's smallest craft distilleries. While its in-house malt was still too young, the team began releasing AMAHAGAN by combining its own spirit with overseas malt β and the blending design has matured edition by edition. Metalic Label took the gold at the Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition 2023, and reads as a fair snapshot of where the brand sits today.
Built around a 30-year-aged malt
The disclosed composition: 30-year-aged malt, long-aged Nagahama malt, and a sherry-finished heavily peated whisky. 47% ABV, non-chill-filtered, no caramel colouring.
The nose opens with blood orange and passion fruit, then cherry and sherry-soaked raisins. On the palate, salted caramel, oak spice, the weight of berries and nuts, and a slow, lingering peat smoke on the finish. The 47% gives it a real backbone β neat or on the rocks, it doesn't fall apart. A few drops of water unfold the fruit aromas; this is one to taste, not to highball.
A snapshot of Japan's craft distilleries today
Japan's craft distilleries multiplied in the late 2010s. Chichibu, Akkeshi, Kanosuke, Saburomaru, Sakurao, Okayama β too many to list. Most pair a "single distillery" expression with a "world blended malt" line that brings in overseas casks. Nagahama's AMAHAGAN is one of the textbook examples of the latter: an honest acknowledgment that the in-house spirit alone wouldn't reach the depth, paired with a deliberate use of foreign malt to get there.
Whether to chase the purity of single malt or play to blending design β Japan's craft scene is doing both, and both are interesting. Metalic Label is worth keeping on the shelf as the current high-water mark of the latter.
Nagahama Distillery and AMAHAGAN
Nagahama Distillery (operating since 2016)
One of Japan's smallest craft distilleries, in Nagahama, Shiga, on the northeast shore of Lake Biwa. Operated by craft brewer Nagahama Roman Beer, it uses Alsatian pot stills in a tight footprint.
The AMAHAGAN line
"AMAHAGAN" is "Nagahama" read backwards. The line is a world blended malt range that pairs Nagahama malt with overseas (mainly Scottish) malt. It started with Edition No.1 and has grown to wine cask, peated, sherry, KOVAL (US-grain) and other variants.
Metalic Label Edition
Released 2023. Combines a 30-year-aged malt, long-aged Nagahama malt, and a sherry-finished heavily peated whisky. 47% ABV, non-chill-filtered, no colouring. Gold at Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition 2023.
Available on Amazon.co.jp through the regular distribution channel.