Ikikko 8 Year Old Sherry Cask Koji Whisky

Ikikko 8 Year Old Sherry Cask Koji Whisky is a 42% ABV (84-proof) Japanese whisky that takes a path no malt whisky does — instead of malting grain, white koji mold is incubated directly onto steamed polished white rice, fermented in parallel with unmalted barley, and the result is aged 8 years in ex-Oloroso sherry casks. Distilled at Ikinokura Distillery on Iki Island, Nagasaki Prefecture, it is whisky built on shochu tradition. Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.

• ABV/Proof: 42% ABV / 84 proof
• Size: 700mL
• Age: 8 years in ex-Oloroso sherry casks
• Origin: Ikinokura Distillery (Iki Distillery), Ashibe-cho, Iki Island, Nagasaki, Japan — the historic birthplace of barley shochu
• Production: white-koji rice + unmalted barley mash, single-distilled in stainless steel pot; aged in maritime high-humidity climate

Whisky Made the Shochu Way

Iki Island is the birthplace of barley shochu, and Ikikko is its whisky expression of that heritage. Where a Scotch distillery malts barley, Ikinokura incubates white koji mold directly onto steamed polished rice for about 40 hours, then runs a parallel fermentation of the koji rice with unmalted barley for two to three weeks — roughly one-third koji rice to two-thirds unmalted barley, the traditional Iki shochu ratio. Single distillation in a stainless steel pot keeps the character pure before eight years in ex-Oloroso sherry casks. The result drinks like a conversation between shochu and sherry-matured whisky. Explore more Japanese whiskies or the full Ikikko range.

Tasting Notes

Nose of ripened dark fruits, white pepper, aged allspice, and subtle citrus. The palate turns light and intricate — cardamom, delicate cream, tangerine, herbal tea, and steamed rice — finishing with distant sea salt, oily peppermint, and a candied sweetness.

How to Enjoy

Neat at room temperature first — the koji-derived rice character rewards full attention. A splash of water opens the fruit; it also shines as a highball with soda over a large cube.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is koji whisky?
A whisky that uses white koji mold incubated onto steamed rice (as in shochu) instead of malted grain, fermented with unmalted barley and distilled — a Japanese technique from Iki Island, the historic home of barley shochu.

Where is Ikikko made?
At Ikinokura Distillery on Iki Island in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, a company formed in 1984 from a merger of six shochu distilleries.

What casks is it aged in?
Ex-Oloroso sherry casks, for a minimum of 8 years.

Is it a single malt?
No — it is a koji whisky made from rice and unmalted barley, not malted barley, so it is its own category entirely.

For something no malt whisky can imitate, order Ikikko 8 Year Old Sherry Cask Koji Whisky online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.