Hakkaisan Unveils 2026 Edition Of Rice Based Uonuma 8 Year Old Single Grain Whisky

Hakkaisan Brewery best known for its premium sake from Niigata’s Uonuma region, has unveiled the 2026 version of its Hakkaisan Single Grain Uonuma 8 Year Rice Whisky.

Since 2008, Hakkaisan Brewery has produced authentic shochu from its Fukasawahara Distillery in Uonuma, using a base of rice and sake lees before introducing an oak-aged expression in 2016. This distillation expertise alongside a deep, generational heritage of sake brewing is what helped it craft a unique Uonuma rice grain whisky, a annual activity they have been doing since 2016.

Crafted at the Fukasawahara Distillery in Uonuma, this whisky utilizes domestically grown rice and malted barley, fermented with traditional sake yeast and distilled in pot stills. Notably, shochu barrels previously used for "Hakkaisan Honkaku Kome Shochu Oak Barrel Aged Fubai Hana" are used, resulting in a finish that is said to offer a gentle harmony and a calm, lingering aftertaste.

The final expression is a blend composed exclusively of house-made, rice-based distillates that have been matured for eight years in a combination of American white oak and French oak casks.

At 52% ABV, the expression is said to have a nose with notes of honey, brown sugar and ripe citrus fruits. The flavor is described as having a gentle sweetness derived from rice, a rich marmalade-like flavor and a pleasant balance of acidity and astringency.

The whisky is available by ballot with an MSRP of 13,200 yen (tax included).

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team