Eigashima Shuzo Akashi 4 Year Old Ume Cask Japanese Whisky
Eigashima Shuzo Akashi 4 Year Old Ume Cask Japanese Whisky is a single malt from the White Oak distillery in Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture — the classic Akashi malt aged 3 years in ex-bourbon casks, then finished for a full year in house-seasoned ex-umeshu casks, and bottled at 50% ABV (100 proof). Eigashima has been making umeshu (plum wine) in ex-bourbon barrels for decades; those casks, layered with plum-wine character, lend a body and depth more like an artisanal brandy than a standard finish. It's available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 50% (100 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Style: single malt, copper pot distilled
- Aging: 4 years — 3 yrs ex-bourbon + 1 yr house-seasoned ex-umeshu (plum wine) casks
- Distillery: Eigashima Shuzo "White Oak," Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan (founded 1888; sake/shochu house since the Edo period)
- Ume: Japanese plum/apricot — tart, floral, saline; closer to apricot than European plum
Plum Wine Meets Single Malt
This is one of the more genuinely unusual finishes in Japanese whisky: not wine, not sake, but umeshu — Japan's beloved plum wine — aged in ex-bourbon casks at Eigashima's own facility, then those casks handed over to mature whisky. A year in that wood softens the malt and layers stone-fruit and white-chocolate tones onto Akashi's crisp malt backbone. Distillery note: Eigashima traces to 1679 as a sake/shochu producer, began distilling whisky in 1984, and matures near Kobe Bay's coastal air. Browse more Eigashima Shuzo, explore Japanese whisky, or compare with the Yamazaki Distiller's Reserve for a contrasting Japanese malt.
Tasting Notes
Crisp with delicious maltiness and hints of vanilla. A mellow, soft texture balanced by white chocolate and almond notes, with the umeshu cask adding delicate plum and stone-fruit character over classic malt, black tea and dried florals.
How to Enjoy
Neat at first to catch the ume character, then with a few drops of water to open the malt. A 50% ABV whisky with balance — the drying texture pairs elegantly with the red-fruit finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an umeshu cask?
A cask that previously held umeshu — Japanese plum wine — here aged in ex-bourbon barrels at Eigashima's own facility, giving the whisky plum-and-brandy-like depth.
Is this the same as Akashi Ume Whisky?
No — the "Akashi Ume Whisky" is a plum-infused liqueur-style bottling (~14% ABV). This is a 50% ABV single malt finished in umeshu casks.
Is Akashi real Japanese whisky?
Yes — single malt distilled in copper pot stills at the White Oak distillery in Akashi, Japan.
A Japanese single malt with a finish nobody else is doing — order the Akashi 4 Year Old Ume Cask online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.