Ontake Distillery was honored at the Asia World Spirits Competition (AWSC), an international sake competition. Competition (AWSC), an international sake competition, awarded Ontake Distillery's JAPANESE SINGLE MALT WHISKY Ontake 2025 won the Gold Award! The distillery's "JAPANESE SINGLE MALT WHISKY Ontake 2025" won a gold medal!

Nishi Brewery Co. (Location: Hioki-shi, Kagoshima Prefecture, Representative Director: Yoichiro Nishi) is pleased to announce that "JAPANESE SINGLE MALT WHISKY Ontake 2025" won the Gold Award at the Asia World Spirits Competition (AWSC) 2025, an international sake competition announced on July 29, 2025. We are pleased to announce that "JAPANESE SINGLE MALT WHISKY Ontake 2025" was awarded the "Gold" prize at the Asian World Spirits Competition (AWSC) 2025.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all of you who continue to patronize Ontake Distillery's whisky. Encouraged by this award, we will continue to strive to make Ontake Distillery's whisky well known throughout Japan and around the world, and to create sake that will impress many people.

AWSC2025 Gold Award!

THE ONTAKE DISTILLERY" WEB site URL: https://www.nishi-shuzo.co.jp/ontake/

What is Asia World Spirits Competition?

The Asia World Spirits Competition (formerly the Singapore World Spirits Competition) is a competition that highlights the vibrant spirits industry in Asia and Australia. Judging methods are determined by rigorous blind tastings conducted by experienced professionals.

https://thetastingalliance.com/events/asia-world-spirits-competition

The award-winning product "JAPANESE SINGLE MALT WHISKY Ontake 2025".

The second edition of the Ontake Distillery Single Malt Whisky Sherry Barrel Ver. is "JAPANESE SINGLE MALT WHISKY Ontake 2025", vatted only with the original sake distilled in-house. 180 years of distillation technology is all utilized to create this new pot, completed by in-house cultivated yeast, carefully selected two-row barley and calculated distillation techniques. This whisky is aged for five years in Solera sherry vats, which are used for "sherry made to be savored" with a focus on quality.

The "cask" is one of the most important ingredients. Aged in first-fill sorrel sherry vats

It is not only the new pot that Ontake Distillery puts its heart and soul into. We consider the "barrel" to be one of the most important raw materials.

The casks live and breathe the second life of the wood.

The barrels used to mature Ontake single malt whiskey are all old sherry casks.

Ontake Distillery, barrel cellar

There are two main types of sherry casks. One is seasoned sherry casks, which are artificially created for the purpose of maturing whiskey. The other type is solera sherry casks, which are used to age sherry "made to be savored" with an emphasis on quality.

Of course, the sherry casks selected by Ontake are all the latter. Moreover, we use only first-fill casks.

We go to the Andalusia region of Spain to see each cask with our own eyes, check the aroma of the sherry inside the cask, and get to know the personalities of the people who work there, and we carefully select only the best quality old sherry casks.

We also place original orders for the repair of casks. Each cask is meticulously maintained by our craftsmen.

We hope you will enjoy the "marriage" of Ontake's New Pot and the fine old sherry casks that Ontake has fallen in love with.

Tasting and pairing

Beautiful amber gold color. It has a deep reddish hue derived from the sherry casks.

The aroma is rich and gorgeous, with sweet and fruity notes of dried apricots, caramelized apples, and prunes stewed in red wine.

The mouthfeel is very smooth and silky. The palate is full-bodied, harmonizing flavors of dried fruit and oak-derived vanilla. The alcohol is smooth, and the gentle texture spreads pleasantly toward the finish.

JAPANESE SINGLE MALT WHISKY Ontake 2025

Product Outline】 Product Name ： JAPANESE SINGLE MALT WHISKY Ontake 2025

Product Name ： JAPANESE SINGLE MALT WHISKY Ontake 2025

Price ： 14,300 yen (tax included)

Alc. degree ：43％ ・Ingredients ：Malt

Ingredient ： Malt

Content ：700ml

Ontake distillery overlooking Mt.

Ontake Distillery is located on a hill about 400 meters above sea level overlooking Kinko Bay and Ontake (Mt. Sakurajima), where naturally soft water springs up in abundance.

Ontake Distillery with a spectacular view

Ingredients are life.

The water is natural soft water that rises at a rate of more than 1,000 liters per minute. The water is filtered and refined over a long period of time by the rich forests in the hills around the Ontake distillery, and is ideal for whiskey making. The yeast used is selected from the yeast kept by the Nishi Shuzo and the whiskey is made from selected 2-row barley and carefully selected old sherry casks.

■The taste that the Ontake Distillery aims for.

The distillation kettle at Ontake Distillery is designed with the line arm angled upward for both first distillation and redistillation. By doing so, heavy flavor components are removed and only the "fruity and deep flavor components" that reach the top of the still can be extracted.

Hence, it produces a new pot that is gentle to people and has a clean, refreshing taste. Aroma of mellow fruit. Well-balanced flavor. A clear mouthfeel that glides down the throat.

This is the taste of the whiskey that the Ontake Distillery aims for.

Ontake Distillery's distillation kettle

About Nishi Shuzo Co.

Nishi Shuzo is a brewery that has been making sake for three centuries since its establishment in 1845, supported by the richness of the land of Satsuma. Brewing nature's bounty into delicious sake with the help of the fermentation power of these tiny, invisible lives. This philosophy remains unchanged in all of our sake brewing.

Brands

Whiskey Ontake Distillery Brand site: https://www.nishi-shuzo.co.jp/ontake/

Shochu: Hozan Brand site: https://www.nishi-shuzo.co.jp/houzan/

Wine URLAR brand site: https://urlar.co.nz/japan/

Sake Tenpyo brand site: https://www.nishi-shuzo.co.jp/tenbu/

【Company Profile】 

Company name: Nishi Shuzo Co.

Representative Director: Yoichiro Nishi

Location ： 4970-17 Yokura, Fukiage-cho, Hioki-shi, Kagoshima 899-3309, Japan

Year of Establishment ： 1845

Business ： Manufacture and sale of authentic shochu, sake, whiskey, wine, liqueurs, and spirits.

　　　　　　　　liqueurs and spirits

Official HP ： https://www.nishi-shuzo.co.jp/

Official EC site : https://kurachoku-club.shop/

Official instagram : https://www.instagram.com/nishi_the_brewing/