🎬 The Story Behind｜Nagahama Distillery – A Small Still, a Big Ambition
The Call of “Water of Life” & Lakeside Legacy
On the northern shore of Lake Biwa lies Nagahama Roman Beer, a beloved local brewery since 1996. Over two decades, owner-brewer Takashi Kiyoi focused on perfecting a small lineup of craft beers to bring customers back time and again to the on-site restaurant. Yet inside him, a deeper calling grew: the allure of “命の水” – the Water of Life – whisky. So began an extraordinary leap: crafting whisky from the land and the lake he loved.
Scene 1: Japan’s Smallest, Yet Grandest Heart
Nagahama chose audacity in scale. Founded in 2016, it became one of Japan’s smallest licensed whisky distilleries. Yet, by weaving the spirit of their brewery and the support of local shareholders, they transformed a tiny still behind the bar into a maritime vessel carrying dreams as large as Lake Biwa itself.
Scene 2: Brewing Roots, Whisky Dreams
Rather than building new, they repurposed their beer equipment: mash tuns upstairs, tubing connecting wash to the still room below—an ingenious setup so intimate that distillation happens in view of diners. Here, Takashi’s passion echoes with every bubble in the wash and every drop that drips into the spirit receiver. “命の水” was no longer a dream—it was taking form, quietly and powerfully.
Scene 3: Still Innovation in a Compact Frame
Central to Nagahama’s identity is their petite Arabic-style pot still, just 1,000L in size. Compact yet potent, it demands precision at every turn: each distillation yields a single cask worthy of tasting. This is whisky as focused craftsmanship—not quantity, but personal mark, every drop reflecting Takashi’s hand.
Scene 4: Experimentation on the Lake
Without layers of age to lean on, Nagahama embraced experimentation:
- New make spirit as a conversation starter—light, honest, and soft
- Gently peated malt, sourced from Germany and the UK, born of curiosity
- Amahagan blends, fusing homegrown spirit with world-class malts—a statement of blending artistry
- Collaborative releases like the Inazuma Synergy Blend, showcasing partnerships with distilleries across Japan
Through creativity, Nagahama proves that small scale can spark big ideas.
Scene 5: A Community Distillery
Nagahama’s pint-sized tasting room invites you into its world: observers sip beer, smell new make, and aspire to join the cask-owner program. The distillery doesn’t just share whisky—it shares hands, hearts, and its story with the city. Each cask sold becomes a shared venture, a reflection of local pride and collective dream.
Final Scene: A Whisper Heard Across the Globe
In just a few short years, Nagahama’s whiskies have surfaced globally—single cask releases, award-winning blends, and praise from craft fans everywhere. Against the backdrop of small stills and bigger dreams, Takashi’s message echoes: passion trumps scale, and “命の水” can flow from the humblest of springs.
🥃 What You Taste in Nagahama’s Spirit
- Gentle malt clarity—pure and clean
- Soft peat harmony—measured and graceful
- Blend finesse—global flavor in local form
- Personal mark—each cask tells Takashi’s story, Lake Biwa’s breeze, and Nagahama’s soul