Situated on the stunning northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, Akkeshi has been distilling whisky since 2016. The distillery founder, Keiichi Toita, chose the island as the location for his whisky venture thanks to his love of Islay single malts. The climate on Hokkaido is both cool and wet, and so conditions are perfect for producing a spirit akin to those made on Scotland’s most famous whisky producing island. 

The coastal town of Akkeshi sits between the Pacific Ocean and the Bekan-Beushi wetlands. It's a conservation area teeming with wildlife, meaning the distillery has to adhere to strict eco-friendly rules when producing their whisky.

The distillery must replenish any resources taken from the land, which in turn maintains the natural terroir. Resulting in truly unique whiskies that embody their rich, natural environment.

While the initial idea was to create a spirit akin to that produced on Islay, the Akkeshi distillery has ended up creating spirit that stands entirely on its own, delivering a range of notes that result in a must-try tasting experience for fans of Japanese whisky.