Takamine 8 Year Old Koji Japanese Whisky
Takamine 8 Year Old Koji Japanese Whisky is an 8-year-old whisky from the Shinozaki Distillery in Fukuoka, Japan — 40% ABV (80 proof), 750mL — made the way no other whisky in the world is made: from 100% barley fermented with koji instead of malted barley. This patented "Takamine Process" dates to chemist Jokichi Takamine's 1891 breakthrough, and it gives the whisky an unmistakable savory depth beneath its tropical fruit and vanilla. Order online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA, and taste a true original of Japanese whisky.
- ABV: 40% (80 proof — entered the barrel at a very low 86.7 proof, so it's nearly cask strength)
- Size: 750mL
- Age: 8 years
- Fermentation: 100% barley with koji (Aspergillus oryzae) — the patented Takamine Process, 1891
- Distillation: Double pot distilled; multiple parallel fermentation (koji + yeast simultaneously)
- Casks: Virgin American oak (Ariake Cooperage, Miyazaki) plus ex-bourbon casks
- Origin: Shinozaki Distillery, Fukuoka, Japan; imported by Honkaku Spirits, distributed by Winebow
The Whisky That Shouldn't Exist — Thanks to a 19th-Century Chemist
Jokichi Takamine was a Japanese chemist who, in the 1890s, became the first person to apply koji fermentation — the technique behind sake, miso, and shochu — to American whiskey. He patented the process in 1891, and the Shinozaki family has been refining it ever since. In Japan, koji-based spirits are legally classified as shochu or awamori; only in the United States does Takamine qualify as whisky. That legal quirk is your gain: a spirit with the soul of Japanese fermentation science and the structure of a proper aged whisky. It debuted in the US to a Gold Medal at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition — browse more Takamine bottlings.
Tasting Notes
The nose opens with tropical fruit, banana, and honey over a savory umami depth you won't find in any malt whisky. The palate is lush and rounded — vanilla, caramel, and ripe fruit — while Whisky Advocate's 91-point review found lemon curd, candy hearts, grapefruit peel oil, tangy orange, vanilla cream, and butterscotch. A long, gently spiced finish carries hints of oak and roasted tea.
How to Enjoy
Neat or with a splash of water to let the koji-driven umami unfold. Takamine also makes an exceptional highball — the bright fruit and gentle spice cut beautifully through soda over ice. It pairs well with sushi, grilled fish, or aged cheeses, and it gives a Manhattan or Old Fashioned an intriguingly savory twist.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is koji whisky and how is it made?
Instead of malting barley to convert starch to sugar, Takamine uses koji — the mold Aspergillus oryzae, the same culture behind sake and miso — in a multiple parallel fermentation where koji and yeast work simultaneously. The wash is then double pot distilled and aged 8 years in oak.
Who was Jokichi Takamine?
A pioneering Japanese chemist who patented the koji-whisky process in 1891 after applying koji fermentation to American whiskey in the 1890s. He's also known for isolating adrenaline — the whisky is named in his honor.
How is Takamine different from other Japanese whisky?
Every other major Japanese whisky is malt- or grain-based. Takamine's koji fermentation creates a savory, umami-rich profile with tropical fruit that no malt whisky replicates — and it's double pot distilled, not column distilled.
Order a bottle online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA and discover what koji can do in a whisky glass.