Nagahama 4 Years Old 2019

Nagahama 4 Years Old 2019 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 2019 and bottled in 2023 at 50% for the European market, this is not a single cask but a vatted bottling, drawing on multiple cask types rather than one barrel, which gives the blender more control over balance and flavour.

The cask mix includes Oloroso sherry, Ex-Bourbon and Ex-Islay barrels. The sherry wood contributes dried fruit, dark toffee and a gentle nuttiness, while the Ex-Bourbon barrels add vanilla and softer grain sweetness. The Ex-Islay element introduces peat smoke, maritime salinity and a note of iodine, making this the most complex and layered of the European 2019 releases. Bottled at 50%, the vatting sits between full cask strength and standard abv, giving enough proof to carry the varied cask character without overwhelming heat.