Kumesen Distillery Co., Ltd. Kujira 30 Years Old

Kujira 30 Years Old is a vintage single grain whisky from Kumesen Distillery Co., Ltd. on Kumejima island, Okinawa Prefecture, distilled in 1989 and bottled in 2019 after thirty years of maturation. The length of ageing is unusual for any grain whisky and particularly so from an island producer, where the subtropical climate drives wood extraction at a pace that makes such patience all the more deliberate.

The cask record does not specify the exact barrel used for this release, but the maturation direction is Ex-Bourbon in keeping with the broader Kujira programme. Thirty Okinawan summers would typically concentrate the spirit considerably, softening the grain character and building layers of warm vanilla, dried fruit and faded oak spice that define the house style at its most mature. This 2019 global release stands as the oldest regularly available expression in the Kujira lineup and reflects Kumesen's position as one of the few southern Japanese houses to pursue long-aged grain whisky at all.