Just In: Visitor Centre Exclusive “Sakurao 8 Year Old Sherry Cask” (Hiroshima, Japan)

2026.10.05

In short: Sakurao 8 Year Old Sherry Cask is a visitor-centre-exclusive single cask (#5114, 184 bottles) from SAKURAO DISTILLERY in Hiroshima, Japan, distilled in 2018 — the first year of whisky-making there — and matured for 8 years in a cream sherry cask in the seaside Sakurao warehouse. Plus Sakurao’s timeline, its two warehouses (sea and tunnel), what cream sherry is, and the new Forest Site. By Mika Tanimoto, Bar Little Happiness, Hiroshima.

From SAKURAO DISTILLERY, the visitor-centre-exclusive single malt Japanese whisky “Sakurao 8 Year Old Sherry Cask” has arrived.

At 8 years old, it is among the oldest official bottlings from Sakurao Distillery!!

SAKURAO DISTILLERY started making whisky in 2018.

About eight years have passed since then.

This “Sakurao 8 Year Old” is a bottle that overlaps exactly with the time from when Sakurao took on the new challenge of making whisky until today.

First, the official tasting notes.

Official tasting notes

Sweet aromas of dates, cinnamon and kokuto (Okinawan brown sugar) rise up, followed by flavours of roasted malt and raisins.

At the end, strong sweetness and cinnamon come together with the pleasant bitterness of dark chocolate and a gentle touch of salt.

A single cask matured for 8 years in a cream sherry cask.

A limited bottling of just 184 bottles.

Product details

Single Malt Japanese Whisky Sakurao
Single Cask #5114
Distilled at SAKURAO DISTILLERY

2018–2026
Matured in the Sakurao warehouse
Cream sherry cask
Aged 8 years
Limited to 184 bottles
Exclusive to the SAKURAO DISTILLERY VISITOR CENTER

* The bottle says “SHERRY CASK,” but SAKURAO DISTILLERY’s official announcement says “matured for 8 years in a cream sherry cask.”

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Sakurao’s eight-year journey

SAKURAO DISTILLERY was born in 2017.

The distillery was completed in Sakurao, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima — the company’s founding place — and, building on the distilling expertise it had developed over the years, a new challenge began: making whisky and spirits.

2017
SAKURAO DISTILLERY completed.

2018
Whisky distillation begins.
The SAKURAO DISTILLERY VISITOR CENTER opens the same year.

2019
Second phase of construction.
Grain whisky distilling equipment installed and a new whisky warehouse built.

2021
Single malt Japanese whiskies “Sakurao” and “Togouchi” released.

And then, 2026.

“Sakurao 8 Year Old” released.

Deciding to make whisky, building a distillery, starting to distil, adding equipment, and sending the first single malt out into the world.

There must have been a lot of trial and error along the way.

These 8 years were born within that journey.

Seen that way, this bottle is not simply “an 8-year-old Sakurao” — it is like the time from when SAKURAO DISTILLERY started making whisky until now, sealed inside a single cask!

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Sakurao and Togouchi: two maturation environments

SAKURAO DISTILLERY stands on the shore of the Seto Inland Sea, facing Miyajima across the water.

Today, its whisky is matured in two warehouses in very different environments: “Sakurao” and “Togouchi.”

In the Sakurao warehouse by the sea, the whisky matures through the temperature swings of summer and winter and the sea breeze of the Seto Inland Sea.

The Togouchi warehouse, on the other hand, uses an old JR railway tunnel in Akiota, Hiroshima.

In the unique environment of a tunnel, temperature changes stay gentle all year round, and maturation proceeds in high humidity.

The sea and the mountains.

Even within Hiroshima Prefecture, they are completely different environments.

As its name says, this “Sakurao 8 Year Old” is a spirit matured for 8 years in the Sakurao warehouse by the sea.

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What is a “cream sherry cask” anyway?

One more thing that stands out about this bottle is the “cream sherry cask.”

The bottle says “SHERRY CASK,” but the official announcement says “matured for 8 years in a cream sherry cask.”

There are many types of sherry to begin with.

Oloroso and PX, well known as whisky casks, plus Fino, Manzanilla, Amontillado, Palo Cortado and more.

One of them is “cream sherry.”

Cream sherry is not a dairy product, despite the name — it is a sweet, rich style of sherry.

Many have sweet, rich flavours reminiscent of raisins, dried fruit, nuts and caramel.

The official tasting notes for this bottle also feature

dates, cinnamon, brown sugar, raisins and dark chocolate

— exactly those kinds of words.

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On to the next stage

SAKURAO DISTILLERY FOREST SITE

And Sakurao’s whisky-making is about to move on to its next stage.

A new distillery under construction in Yoshiwa, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima:

SAKURAO DISTILLERY FOREST SITE.

Yoshiwa is surrounded by rich mountain nature, unlike Sakurao by the sea.

Two buildings will be built here, a distillery building and a visitor building, with state-of-the-art production equipment from Germany and pot stills from a traditional Scottish still maker.

Sakurao’s sea.

Togouchi’s tunnel.

And Yoshiwa’s forest.

SAKURAO DISTILLERY’s whisky-making is spreading to yet another new place.

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About eight years since whisky-making began in 2018.

This “Sakurao 8 Year Old” marks one milestone in the time built up so far.

It is spirit from the early distillations, made when whisky-making had just begun.

Building the distillery, adding equipment, sending whisky out into the world for the first time, and all the trial and error after that.

All of it is connected within these 8 years.

Seen that way, these 8 years may seem long, but for SAKURAO DISTILLERY they may still be just the first 8 years.

From the sea, from the tunnel, and on to the forest.

SAKURAO DISTILLERY’s whisky-making is moving on to its next stage.

I hear the forest distillery is due to be completed next year!

Whether you have been to Sakurao Distillery or not, please come to Hiroshima again 🎵

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