Eigashima Shuzo Akashi Sommelier Series Pinot Noir Wine Cask Finish
Eigashima Shuzo Akashi Sommelier Series Pinot Noir Wine Cask Finish is a 50% ABV (100 proof) 5-year-old Japanese single malt from the White Oak Distillery in Akashi City, Hyogo. After 2.5 years in ex-bourbon barrels it spent roughly 3 more years finishing in former Pinot Noir French oak casks from Lompoc, California — a collaboration with Master Sommelier Ken Fredrickson and the second release in the Sommelier Series (fall 2019), limited to around 630 bottles. A 750mL bottle of wine-cask richness with spice-box depth. Buy Japanese whisky online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 50% (100 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Age: 5 years — 2.5 yrs bourbon barrels, ~3 yrs Pinot Noir French oak finish
- Limited: ~630 bottles, fall 2019 release
- Origin: White Oak Distillery, Akashi, Hyogo, Japan
Wine Casks, Chosen by a Sommelier
Ken Fredrickson — Master Sommelier and Tokiwa Imports co-founder — selected the Pinot Noir French oak casks for this finishing project, and the wine influence is unmistakable: black tea, walnut and dried florals on the nose give way to ripe stone fruit, tobacco and drying leather on the palate, with a tannic, drying wine-cask finish. Beneath it all, the 5-year Akashi malt brings spice-box warmth and round edges. Explore more Eigashima Shuzo whisky and the Scotch whisky collection for contrast.
Tasting Notes
Nose: classic malt whisky aromas — black tea, walnut, dried florals. Palate: ripe stone fruit, tobacco, drying leather, spice box. Finish: long, tannic, drying wine-cask character. (Retailer notes via trade coverage.)
How to Enjoy
Neat in a Glencairn — at 50% ABV it benefits from a few drops of water. The wine-cask tannin also makes it an intriguing pour beside red meat or hard cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Sommelier Series? A limited collaboration between Eigashima Shuzo and Master Sommelier Ken Fredrickson, finishing Akashi malt in wine casks selected by a sommelier.
Is this the 500mL Akashi? No — other sommelier editions came in 500mL, but this Pinot Noir finish is a 750mL bottling.
How many bottles were made? Around 630 (some sources cite 690) — a genuinely limited release.
Japanese whisky, sommelier-finished — buy the Akashi Pinot Noir Cask online now from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.