Kujira 5 Year Old Ryukyu Whisky
Kujira 5 Year Old Ryukyu Whisky is the age-stated entry to Okinawa's rice-whiskey world: an 86-proof (43% ABV), 750mL single-grain (rice) whisky aged more than five years in first-fill white oak virgin casks at Masahiro Distillery. The subtropical Okinawan climate accelerates maturation, so five years here drinks older than its number suggests. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 43% (86 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Age: more than 5 years in first-fill white oak virgin casks
- Distillery: Masahiro Shuzo (Masahiro Distillery), Okinawa, Japan (founded 1883; 8th-generation master distiller Masayasu Higa)
- Production: 100% premium Indica rice; black koji unique to Okinawa; non chill-filtered, no added color
- Recognition: Gold, San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2021; Silver (91 pts), IWSC 2021; Silver, International Spirits Challenge 2023
Five Years of Subtropical Wood
A first-fill virgin oak cask in Scotland is a loud instrument; in Okinawa's heat it is a megaphone. Masahiro's rice distillate — 100% premium Indica rice mashed with black koji — spends five-plus years breathing in and out of virgin white oak under a subtropical sun, picking up caramel and spice at a pace no temperate warehouse can match. The medals followed: SFWSC Gold in 2021 among them. For drinkers working through the Japanese whisky shelf, this is the value age-statement in the Kujira range.
Tasting Notes
The nose is sweet caramel and vanilla with a hint of licorice and woody spice from the oak. The palate brings sweet caramel, fresh vanilla, and light oak tannins; the finish is smooth, mellow, and sweet, with peppery wood and spice.
How to Enjoy
Neat or with a few drops of water — the vanilla and caramel open beautifully. A highball shows its elegant side; a small cube suits slow evening sipping. Pair with pork belly, dark chocolate, or spiced nuts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kujira 5 Year Old made from?
One hundred percent premium Indica rice, mashed with black koji unique to Okinawa, then oak-matured.
How is it aged?
More than five years in first-fill white oak virgin casks in Okinawa's subtropical climate.
Has it won awards?
Yes — Gold at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Silver (91 points) at the 2021 IWSC, and Silver at the 2023 International Spirits Challenge.
Is it chill-filtered?
No — non chill-filtered with no added color.
See the rest of the Kujira range and our Japanese whisky shelves. Award-winning age-stated Japanese whisky at this price is a find — order Kujira 5 Year Old online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.