NAGAHAMA DISTILLERY in Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, will release "AMAHANYAN World Blended Mizunara Cask Blend" on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. It is the third collaboration with Hikonyan, the local mascot of Hikone.
Concept: Two Good-Luck Charms and the Red Konnyaku of Shiga Oden
The distillery's blender was once again won over by Hikonyan's adorable charm. A well-known tale says that after Ii Naotaka (井伊直孝) was led into a temple by a beckoning cat, lightning struck the tree where he had been sheltering from the rain, and he escaped harm.
This whisky packs in the history and romance of two good-luck charms: the fortune of this auspicious beckoning cat, Hikonyan, and Benzaiten, who is enshrined on Chikubu Island and known as the deity of wealth, business prosperity and the fulfillment of wishes.
The package and label are designed with Hikonyan holding the Chikubu Island "red konnyaku" of Shiga oden. Delivered with sincerity from Nagahama City, it is a glass full of history and romance.
The Blend
The whisky combines bourbon barrel whisky (Chikubushima whisky), which has an elegant aroma nurtured by Chikubu Island's humid environment, with Mizunara (Japanese oak) cask whisky with a woody depth, aged in a maturation warehouse in Nagahama. Carefully selected overseas whiskies are generously blended in. The result is a rich, distinctive taste in which each whisky's character comes through.
It is meant as a mystical, special glass to enjoy alongside the Hikonyan on the label, who holds the red konnyaku of Shiga oden.
About NAGAHAMA DISTILLERY
NAGAHAMA DISTILLERY began operating in 2016 inside the Nagahama Roman Beer (長濱浪漫ビール) facility. Shaped by the climate of Lake Biwa, Mt. Ibuki and Nagahama, it is the smallest craft distillery in Japan by scale. Small alembic-type pot stills and extremely thin lyne arms produce the rich-tasting whisky that characterizes the distillery every day.
Product Details
- Product name: AMAHANYAN World Blended Mizunara Cask Blend
- Volume: 200 ml
- Ingredients: Grain, malt
- Alcohol content: 47%
- Suggested retail price: ¥2,000 (excluding tax)
- Release date: Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Tasting Notes
Aroma
The top notes are a sweet, gorgeous mix of vanilla, coconut and fully ripe banana from the bourbon barrels aged on Chikubu Island. Next come an oriental, elegant aroma of fragrant wood reminiscent of sandalwood and incense, characteristic of Nagahama Mizunara casks, layered with a toasty oak aroma.
Palate
Rich and very smooth on the palate. A dense, honey-like sweetness spreads together with the woody depth and oriental spice unique to Mizunara whisky. A faint smokiness and an oriental aroma of fragrant wood last as a pleasant, long finish.
Where to Buy
The whisky is planned to be sold mainly at the Nagahama Roman Beer (長濱浪漫ビール) storefront, at souvenir retailers in Shiga Prefecture, and at some Liquor Mountain (リカーマウンテン) stores in the prefecture.
