[Emerging Distilleries!] Japanese Craft Whisky Festa 2025 [YouTube Video]

Japanese Craft Whiskey Festa 2025

“The event held on Sunday, October 19, 2025Japanese Craft Whiskey Festa 2025”, so I would like to introduce what happened at that time.

Event | Japan Whiskey Culture Promotion Association

www.japanesewhiskypc.com

This is the first whiskey event held in 2025.

Currently, there are approximately 120 whiskey distilleries in Japan, including those in the planning stage.

Among these, the event focuses on relatively new distilleries that have recently opened, so-called emerging distilleries.

Participation fee

Tickets only include the tasting fee and do not include glasses.

Basically, you can sample it for free, but some brands have a paid tasting fee and must be paid separately.

Introduction of brands sampled

There weren't any particularly notable merchandise sales, so I visited around 13:30 instead of starting at 13:00.

Now, I would like to introduce the brands I sampled this time.

1st cup: Niigata Kameda Japanese Whiskey Stories

This is a Niigata Kameda limited edition bottle from the Japanese Whiskey Stories whiskey event held in Fukuoka in March 2025.

Since it's a mini bourbon barrel, I think there were only about 100 bottles released.

I didn't attend the event, so I wasn't able to purchase a bottle, but I was wondering if I could drink it somewhere, and I came across it here, so I immediately tried it.

The taste was mainly nuts and raisins, and the aftertaste had a newborn-like plum and youthful feel.

2nd cup: Niigata Kameda New Pot Niigata Barley

I usually don't drink New Pot when I attend a whiskey event, but since it was an event like this, I decided to try New Pot.

The barley is six-rowed barley, but it is Niigata barley, a local barley, using Yukihana Rokujo from Niigata Prefecture, a barley that the Niigata Kameda Distillery itself is involved in developing.

It has a sweet and plump impression, and you can feel the fruitiness.

I'm sure this will make a good whisky, once it's aged.

3rd cup: Niigata Kameda New Pot Non-peated

Non-peated barley made from British barley.

It's dry and has a wheat taste, and I think it's delicious.

4th cup: Niigata Kameda New Pot Peated

The last one is peated.

I can really feel the smokiness, which I also like.

Niigata Kameda's single malt whiskey is released in non-peated bourbon barrels.

Peated barrels have recently started to be released, so I hope we can enjoy a variety of barrels and their peated varieties in the future.

5th cup: Asaka Cask Sample Peated 3 years 3 months

The refreshing and sweetness of the citrus fruit, with the addition of peat, gave it a flavor that I would have expected if I had been told that it was a young Islay.

6th cup: Asaka 4 Years Old Cask Sample Peated 4 Years 9 Months

It seems like it has more sweetness than the 3 year old one mentioned earlier.

I think this also has a younger Islay feel to it.

7th cup: Asaka Peated 1st Wooden Washback

A wooden fermenter was introduced in 2019, and this is the first bottle to contain peat.

released as a product.

It has a sweetness and beauty to it, giving me the impression that it feels more like a typical peated Japanese whisky.

Asaka's Peated 2023 had a shock reminiscent of Aira, but it seems that this shock has disappeared.

It's not that it's not delicious, but I get the impression that it's not shocking enough or worth buying.

8th cup: Rintaro Mizunara Cask 3 years old

This is Rintaro from Chiyomusubi Sake Brewery in Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture.

We are participating in the whiskey production from the same industry that produces Japanese sake.

I hadn't seen it at many whiskey events until now, but it caught my attention when it was released around February of this year.

At first, it gives off a sherry-like impression, with a hint of Mizunara in the aftertaste.

I got the impression that it had the taste of unprocessed sake or rather the taste of barrels.

9th cup: Rintaro Hebreacher 3 years old

This is the second batch of snake leecher.

I could feel the kelp flavor throughout, which I personally don't like. .

10th cup: Takazo REBORN AGED 2 YEAR

This is Takazo produced by Akari Sake Brewery in Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture.

Distillation will begin in 2022, so we can expect to see the release of whiskey this year or next, but at this stage only Newborn will be released.

A two-year aged Newborn wine, it has a sweet and fruity taste, with hints of New Pottiness and nuts on the finish.

I think the new potty taste in the second half can't be helped because it's a new born, but I think we can expect a good texture in the future as well.

11th cup: Gekkogawa New Pot Non-peated

Gekkogawa Distillery is located in Yuza Town, Yamagata Prefecture.

Distillation will start in 2023, so it has not been released as whiskey yet.

Yusa Distillery is located in Yuza Town.

It had a plump, clean impression and a dashi-like nuance.

There are many new pots that are more fruity, but this distillery gave me a slightly different impression.

12th cup: Gekkogawa New Pot Peated

It gives the impression that peat is added to non-peated.

It seems that they only produce a small amount of peated each year before cleaning in the off-season, and basically peated is sold only at the distillery.

13th cup: Hanyu Distillery 3 years non-peated

For those who know the history, some may wonder if we should just call it the Hanyu Distillery, but I think we should call it the New Hanyu Distillery.

The production of malt whiskey has been ``resumed'' since 2021, and it will be released as a single malt in 2025.

The unprocessed sake has a sweet impression, but it had a kelp-like taste that I don't like.

14th cup: Hanyu Distillery 3 Year Peated

It's sweet and smoky.

I get the impression that the kelp-like flavor is masked by peat.

Personally, I prefer peated.

15th cup: Little K

This is a bottle from the Water Dragon Distillery in Shizuoka Prefecture Mishima.

Since it has been aged for less than two years, it is considered a new born spirit, and since it is a bourbon type, it is considered a grain spirit.

It was nice to feel the sweetness and bourbon-like character.

Mishima is easily accessible as the Tokaido Shinkansen runs through it, so I'd like to visit it next time.

16th cup: Yabu Distillery Pressed Yeast Australian Malt

This is Yabu Distillery located in Yabu City, Hyogo Prefecture.

Distillation will start in 2023, so it has not been released as whiskey yet.

It has a fruity impression.

I didn't drink the Newborn because it was made in a red wine barrel or something similar, but I would like to drink it in a bourbon barrel and it looks promising.

17th cup: Yabu Distillery Pressed Yeast + Dry Yeast Australian Malt

You can really feel the sweetness.

Personally, I feel that the fermentation process is the most important in whisky-making, and I think the fermentation time and which yeast you use are important.

I like distilleries that are particular about this and serve their wines in this way.

18th cup: Yabu Distillery Pressed Yeast Scottish Malt

The sweetness is stronger, and the impression is that it has a punch or impact.

It's interesting to be able to taste and compare the differences in malt in New Pot.

19th cup: Shindo Distillery For Cores02

Shindo Distillery in Fukuoka Prefecture released a single malt this year.

I received the peat type, and while it tasted peat, it clearly had the sweetness that is a characteristic of Shindo.

20th glass: Nikko Kaido Oyama Distillery Oyama

Nikko Kaido Oyama Distillery is located in Tochigi Prefecture.

The first whiskey release will take place in October 2025.

Two bottles have been released, and Koyama is a single malt.

It had an impression of banana, gum, and citrus, and although it was made in Tochigi, it felt like a tropical or Kyushu Japanese whisky.

21st cup: Nikko Kaido Oyama Distillery Nikko

Here's another release, this one is a blended whisky.

I heard that the grain is also distilled in-house, so I think it will be a single blended Japanese whisky.

It's the same as Kirin's Fuji Gotemba Distillery.

I think this single malt has a lighter banana and citrus flavor, so I think this one will be easier to drink, but I feel that they are both similar in origin.

22nd cup: Awano Distillery New Pot

Awano Distillery is located in Tokushima Prefecture.

It is said to be Shikoku's first whiskey distillery.

Production began in 2023, and it has not yet been released as a whisky.

First, I had the New Pot, and it had a rich, coffee-like aftertaste that left an impression on me.

23rd cup: Awano Distillery Newborn

Newborn had a nutty and banana flavor.

It's nice that the banana flavor comes out at the newborn stage.

24th cup: Awano Distillery New Pot from Tokushima Prefecture

A new pot made with malt from Tokushima Prefecture.

Although it was plump, I could feel the harshness of the cucumber and the melon-like impression, and I thought it would be nice to be able to feel the difference in local barley efforts and malt.

25th cup: Tenkyo Distillery New Pot

Tenkyo Distillery is located on Mt. Bandai in Fukushima Prefecture.

Production will begin in 2024, so I think it will be a while before the whiskey is released.

This time, only New Pot was served, and although I could tell that it was full-bodied, it gave the impression that the alcohol attack was heavy.

Impressions

There are many different distilleries in Japan, but the relatively young distilleries on display were ones that were barely three years old, and I think the main lineup was distilleries that have only released New Pot and Newborn.

Because of that, I didn't think it would be crowded, but the venue was surprisingly crowded.

It is said that the Japanese whiskey boom has calmed down, but I think that Japanese whiskey is still popular even though the resellers have disappeared.

This was clear from the beginning, but since we are a young distillery, we end up drinking New Pot, which has not been aged at all, and New Born, which has been aged for less than three years.

And they are often cask strength, so it's like 60%, so drinking 25 cups of that would be exhausting. .

I also felt like I got drunk more easily than usual.

I think it took away from my lifespan, but I was able to drink from a lot of different distilleries, and to be honest, I learned about some distilleries for the first time, so I'm glad I took part to learn more.

I think the event itself will continue with the 2nd and 3rd events.

The next event will be held on March 15, 2026, so I would like to participate if I have another plan.

YouTube