Takamine 8 Year Old Whiskey
Jokichi Takamine was - and is - one of the most important chemists, experimenters, and entrepreneurs in both American and Japanese history. Arguably, though he was born in Japan, his greatest contributions came after he immigrated to the United States.
Takamine was the first to isolate adrenaline, useful in treating asthma and as epinephrine for cardiac resuscitation, and takadiastase, an enzyme helpful in saccharification. He was a lifelong advocate for US-Japanese relations and a key figure in bringing the world-famous cherry blossoms to Washington, DC in 1912.
His most underrated achievement is also surrounded by both mystery and misfortune. In his home country of Japan, products as diverse as soy sauce, sake, shochu, and miso are made using koji fermentation, an indigenous mold that grows on rice and breaks down the starches into digestible sugars in the same way enzymes in malted barley (or a substitute) are needed to break down sugars for fermentation in beer and spirit production. Koji is a broad term that can be used for all molds in Japan, singular species, or groupings, so unless specified by the producer it’s worth looking into the type used.
So what does this have to do with whiskey, Japanese or otherwise? In short, a lot, and I encourage you to listen to my episode with Honkaku Spirits founder Christopher Pellegrini and ambassador Stephen Lyman for the fuller story. I’ll cover a few things here just to entice you.
In Japan, the guidelines for making whisky (note the inclusion or exclusion of “e” in this article - it’s important) are set by the industry more than the government. In April 2021, the Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association - an industry group - introduced new “rules” for Japanese whisky makers. These rules were largely based on the Scotch Whisky Association’s own guidelines, swapping out Scotland for Japan but otherwise keeping them basically the same: in order to be called a Japanese whisky, it had to be fermented, distilled, and aged in Japan, matured in oak containers, bottled at no less than 40% ABV, and be made from malted barley and local water.
Naturally, this left some producers out in the cold, namely those using rice as the base grain, non-barley enzymes for fermentation, and those using different aging practices (for example, Kaiyō produces a whisky that fits all the guidelines except the geographical one, being partially aged off the coast of Japan and not on the islands). Larger rice-base brands like Fukano and Ohishi couldn’t call their whiskies “Japanese Whisky” or risk being targeted by the industry. Even Nikka, the second largest whisky producer in Japan, wasn’t immune - their Nikka from the Barrel, one of the most iconic Japanese whiskies, includes some distillate from their Ben Nevis Distillery in Scotland and is thus excluded from the new guidelines.
When Christopher and Stephen set out to create Takamine 8 Year Old Whiskey, they came at it from a shochu and awamori background, two indigenous spirits that use rice as the main ingredient and koji fermentation. There’s a lot more to them than just that, but I’ll leave it to the episode to explain. The goal was to create a Japanese whisky using the koji fermentation method rather than traditional barley enzymes, meaning the barley would be koji-fied rather than malted. Why include the “e” when most Japanese whisky does not? To show it was different and to honor Jokichi Takamine, who had tried - successfully for a short time - to introduce koji fermentation as a viable alternative to whiskey-making in America.
In the late 19th century in Peoria, Illinois, Takamine was a chemist who dabbled in fermentation and alcohol production. Peoria and the upper Ohio River Valley were hotbeds of whiskey production at that time (see my episode with JK Williams Distillery to learn more about the vast history of that area). He knew that using koji to ferment the grains for beer and whiskey was far more cost efficient than importing barley, and so he began distilling.
Unfortunately, the late 19th century was an inhospitable time for Asian people in America, and Takamine was targeted multiple times by entities whose interests didn’t align with his own. Despite attempts on his life, arson attacks on associated facilities, and general hostility, Takamine remained in America for most of his life, passing away in New York City in 1922. His mausoleum is in the Bronx, and his Japanese-style home is still an active site in Sullivan County, about an hour and a half north of the City.
100 years later, Honkaku Spirits has produced a “whiskey” using Takamine’s ideas. I use quotes for “whiskey” simply because at the moment there isn’t a true category for this product. At 8 years old, it’s at once familiar and also unlike any whiskey I’ve had. The flavors and scents marry traditional ex-bourbon cask aging with a new substrate varietal, creating new textures and notes from the nose to the finish. Amazingly, only 10% of the aging is in ex-bourbon casks, with the remaining 90% in virgin American oak. The fermentation is long - 16 days! - with both koji and yeast working at the same time in a parallel open fermentation. The distillate is then double distilled to 44% ABV before entering the barrel.
It can’t be called Japanese whisky for the reasons above, and, like rice whiskies, it lacks a formal denomination. That being said, this is a unique product that I urge you to try when you get the chance. Taste it alone, taste it next to similarly-aged Japanese whiskies from other producers, and taste it next to shochu. After nearly 1300 tastings, it’s exceedingly rare for me to come across something I truly believe is unique and new, let alone as good as this is - and anything unique and new is worth trying.
*Thank you to Honkaku Spirits for providing a sample of Takamine 8 Year Old for this review and the podcast no strings attached.
Takamine 8 Year Old Whiskey: Specs
Classification: Koji Whiskey (informal designation)
Origin: Shinozaki Distillery
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
Proof: 80 (40% ABV)
Age: 8 Years Old
Location: Asakura, Fukuoka, Japan
Takamine 8 Year Old Whiskey Price: $99
Takamine 8 Year Old Whiskey Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Pale straw. Thin rims, small beady droplets.
Nose: Ooh…that’s different. Pear and orchard smells, from the fruit to the grass. Fermentation, but not funk. It’s hard to describe in that way. The overall feel is gentle as the orchard scents keep developing, transforming into fresh apples. There’s a steamed white rice scent, too, with refreshingly acidic white wine.
Palate: Tastes like what I’d think of as a Japanese whisky, yet also completely different. It’s beguiling. Bracing white wine continues from the nose, with oak astringency and creaminess joining a coconut backbone. Pear nectar, too. Mouthfeel is the definition of smooth, just a hint of proof, candied lemon zest, and a not-too-coating oiliness. Touches of barrel char and honeysuckle build, as does the sweet part of candied ginger.
Finish: Long, creamy, and fruity, like a barrel-aged Chardonnay minus the tannins. Vanilla taffy and tons of ex-bourbon notes, even with just 10% of the casks being that.
Overall: Like nothing you or I have had before. Maybe I’d be more familiar if I was familiar with shochu, but this is out of left field. Blends elements of barrel-aged wine, Irish-style single malt, Japanese subtlety, and ex-bourbon casks. The fermentation is there but has none of the funk. Something I 100% suggest trying!
Final Rating: 7.3
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Old Label Batch 4 or 2, Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)
8 | Excellent | Exceptional (Stagg Jr. Batch 10, Highland Park Single Barrels)
7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)
6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)
4 | Has promise
1-3 | Let’s have a conversation
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