Nagahama 3 Years Old 2018

Nagahama 3 Years Old 2018 is a single malt from Nagahama Distillery, the small pot-still house opened in 2016 on the shores of Lake Biwa in Shiga prefecture. Distilled in 2018 and bottled in 2021 at 61.9% cask strength for the European market, it is a single cask bottling at just three years of age, making it one of the youngest age-stated releases from the distillery. At this age and at full proof, it is an unfiltered look at what Nagahama's spirit becomes early in its life in wood.

The maturation takes place in a single bourbon cask, and without any secondary finish the profile reflects the direct interaction of a young, active new make with American oak. At 61.9% the spirit is assertive, carrying the fresh orchard fruit and light grain character typical of the distillery's house style alongside the vanilla and soft wood spice contributed by the Ex-Bourbon barrel. A measured amount of water is recommended to bring out the fruit and soften the proof.