Founded in 1952, Kumesen Syuzo started on distilling Awamori which is a distilled alcoholic beverage indigenous made with Indica rice and unique to Okinawa islands of Japan, also know as Ryuku islands. Then around 1989, this innovative distillery started to age Awamori in oak barrels, creating a unique kind of ji-whisky in its own category, thus named it the Ryukyu Whisky. With 20 years maturing in bourbon casks, Kujira as a single grain whisky made entirely of rice provides a wonderful taste profile that has distinguished itself from its malt counterparts and creates a refreshing choice for spirits lovers. Filnalist (Ultimate Spirits Challenge, 2019) Gold Medal (76th Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, 2019) Scored 93 pts As Excellent, Highly Recommended (Ultimate Spirits Challenge, 2019) 2nd Place for scored 92.2 pts (International Spirit Competition 2019) Tasting Notes: Toasted cereal grains are pleasantly buttery on the nose. Supple and smooth in the mouth, there are notes of salted caramel, pastry crust, and honeyed oats. Flavors of brown butter balance out the sweet grains for a full flavored sip.