Ohishi Whisky is distilled entirely from rice and aged primarily in brandy or sherry casks, with many expressions finished in Port, Islay Scotch, or Sakura casks. To ensure the quality of the spirit, 6th generation Master Distiller, Kazunori Oishi, utilizes estate-grown rice from the surrounding Kumamoto prefecture. Weeds in the estate rice paddies are controlled organically by the employment of koi fish that swim about the grass and nibble the invasive plants. Varieties of estate-grown rice include Hino hikari, Yamada Nishiki, Gohyaku Mangoku, and Gin no Sato.

After a 40-hour koji exposure, our high quality grains undergo two fermentation periods—one for seven days followed by a secondary fourteen-day fermentation. Because of the rice’s efficient and subsequently clean fermentation, Ohishi uses a pot still made from stainless steel as opposed to copper. Never one to shy away from experimental, innovative distillation and aging techniques, our family tradition has firmly established Japanese rice whisky as one of the great grain whiskies of the world.