{"product_id":"ikikko-koji-whisky-8-year-sherry-cask","title":"SP25 Ikikko Koji Whisky 8 Year Sherry Cask","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-root=\"1\"\u003eProduced 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eABOUT THE ISLAND \u0026amp; KOJI TRADITION\u003cbr\u003eIki 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSTYLE: KOJI-FERMENTED WHISKY, SHERRY CASK MATURED\u003cbr\u003eAGE: MINIMUM 8 YEARS\u003cbr\u003eMASH BILL: ~2\/3 BARLEY, 1\/3 KOJI RICE (PER IKI SHOCHU G.I. STANDARD)\u003cbr\u003eDISTILLATION: SINGLE-DISTILLED IN A STAINLESS STEEL POT STILL\u003cbr\u003eCASK: EX-OLOROSO SHERRY CASKS\u003cbr\u003eSPECIAL NOTES: IKI ISLAND IS RECOGNIZED AS THE BIRTHPLACE OF BARLEY SHOCHU, WITH A DISTILLING HISTORY OF NEARLY 500 YEARS\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ikinokura Distillery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47967262572774,"sku":"SPT-100","price":109.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0781\/2697\/3158\/files\/SPT-100-web.jpg?v=1783691826","url":"https:\/\/dcsake.com\/products\/ikikko-koji-whisky-8-year-sherry-cask","provider":"DC Sake","version":"1.0","type":"link"}