SP25 Ikikko Koji Whisky 8 Year Sherry Cask

Produced on Iki Island — a small island in the Tsushima Strait off Nagasaki Prefecture, recognized as the birthplace of barley shochu in Japan and home to nearly 500 years of distilling history — Ikikko draws on Iki Shochu's traditional mash bill of roughly two-thirds barley to one-third koji rice. Rather than malted barley alone, koji mold is used to ferment the mix, single-distilled in a stainless steel pot still, then aged a minimum of 8 years in ex-Oloroso sherry casks. The result opens with aromas of caramel, sultana raisin, dried cherry, and dried mushroom, alongside ripened dark fruit, white pepper, aged allspice, and a touch of subtle citrus and morning dew. On the palate, warm oak meets marshmallow, toasted almond, apricot, and pink peppercorn, layered with wood-spiced cardamom, delicate cream, tangerine, herbal tea, and steamed rice — all clearly shaped by the Oloroso cask influence. The finish brings distant sea salt, dried wine notes, oily peppermint, and candied sweetness for a complex, lasting close. Bottled at 42% ABV.

ABOUT THE ISLAND & KOJI TRADITION
Iki Island's grain history dates back to the Edo period: rice cultivation determined the land tax owed to the government, while barley — untaxed — gave the island a surplus that farmers began fermenting, making Iki the birthplace of barley shochu in the 16th century. Ikikko carries that heritage forward, using koji — the same mold central to sake, shochu, and miso production — as the fermentation engine behind this whisky rather than the malted barley more typical of Scotch-style production.

STYLE: KOJI-FERMENTED WHISKY, SHERRY CASK MATURED
AGE: MINIMUM 8 YEARS
MASH BILL: ~2/3 BARLEY, 1/3 KOJI RICE (PER IKI SHOCHU G.I. STANDARD)
DISTILLATION: SINGLE-DISTILLED IN A STAINLESS STEEL POT STILL
CASK: EX-OLOROSO SHERRY CASKS
SPECIAL NOTES: IKI ISLAND IS RECOGNIZED AS THE BIRTHPLACE OF BARLEY SHOCHU, WITH A DISTILLING HISTORY OF NEARLY 500 YEARS