Spirits · Akashi, Hyogo
Eigashima Shuzo
Seaside Akashi brewer of sake and Akashi whisky.
- Founded
- 1888
- Based in
- Akashi, Hyogo
Making it since
1888
Their story
Eigashima Shuzo sits on the waterfront in Akashi, a coastal town in Hyogo Prefecture west of Kobe. The company, led by CEO Mikio Hiraishi, began in 1888 as a maker of sake and shochu, and later added wine and umeshu.
It also holds one of Japan's earliest whisky licenses, from 1919, which is why its White Oak distillery is often counted among the country's oldest. For decades whisky was a small seasonal sideline, and regular production only began in 1984. Today its Akashi single malts and blends have a following well beyond Japan.
How it's made
Sake is brewed in the cooler months, from September to March, and the same small team distills whisky. Spirit runs through a pair of pot stills installed in 1984, and the company is known for releases aged in a range of casks, including sake casks.
Why we carry them
We like Eigashima for the chance to taste sake and whisky from the same seaside house. The Akashi whiskies are a friendly entry point to Japanese malt.
More makers like this
All makers-
10th Mountain Whiskey & Spirit Co.
Vail, Colorado
Colorado whiskey honoring the WWII ski soldiers who trained near Vail.
-
10th Street Distillery
San Jose, California
American single malt whisky, engineered in San Jose by two Silicon Valley friends.
-
1792 Distillery
Bardstown, Kentucky
Bardstown bourbon named for the year Kentucky became a state.
Find more makers like this in Provisions Club, our curated subscription.
Explore Provisions Club