Single Malt New Pot 2026 Released — 1,500 Bottles, the First Spirit from Tankyu Distillery
Today, Monday 11 May 2026, Tankyu Distillery releases Single Malt New Pot 2026 — our very first whisky bottling — in a strictly limited run of 1,500 bottles for the Japanese domestic market. 120 ml / 63% ABV / ¥2,970 incl. tax. Buy now at the Tankyu shop →
What is "New Pot"?
New pot is whisky spirit captured straight from the still, before any cask maturation. It is the purest possible expression of a distillery — the raw voice of the barley, the water, the fermentation, and the distillation philosophy, with nothing yet borrowed from oak.
This bottling is the overture to the Tankyu single malt that will follow. It lets you taste exactly where our whisky begins.
How it was made
- Malt: 100% Scottish floor-malted barley
- Water: Asahidake subterranean spring water from Higashikawa (one of the only towns in Japan with no municipal waterworks — the entire town is fed by Daisetsuzan groundwater) — used for both mashing and reduction
- Mashing: A rare mash filter (very few examples worldwide) extracts a richer, more concentrated wort than a traditional mash tun
- Fermentation: 168 hours across stainless-steel and wooden washbacks, producing the grape-like fruit aromatics that define the house style
Product specifications
| | | |---|---| | Product | Single Malt New Pot 2026 | | Volume | 120 ml | | ABV | 63% | | Edition | 1,500 bottles (Japan domestic only) | | Price | ¥2,970 incl. tax | | On sale | 11 May 2026 |
Tasting notes
Nose Rich malt rises first, followed by layered notes of toasted bread and cheese cracker. A soft minerality sits beneath, lifted by a gentle floral-honey sweetness.
Palate Bright and lively on entry, with fresh fruit sweetness drawn tight by a whisper of acidity. The malt core is firm and present; a creamy vanilla-ice-cream texture rounds the whole. Oily, substantial mouthfeel, with the faintest seaweed note for depth.
Finish Long and gently warming, with mulled wine, dried plum, and clove. A fine mineral thread runs to the very end, lending structure and complexity.
A note from Master Distiller Dar Wei Shei
Tankyu's whisky production is led by Master Distiller Dar Wei Shei (David), originally from Taiwan. He trained as a distiller at Edradour in the Scottish Highlands and later served as master blender at Speyside Distillery.
"Every decision we make in producing this new pot is made with the future single malt in mind. What is in the glass right now is the direction of the distillery itself. Grape-like fruit aromatics and the deep richness of malt, expressed plainly and directly — that is where our whisky begins."
About Tankyu Distillery
Tankyu Distillery opened in August 2025 in Higashikawa, Hokkaido — one of very few distilleries in Japan to operate under a public-private partnership model with its host town. We make gin and whisky at the foot of Daisetsuzan National Park, using the spring water that defines this place.
We also open the Private Cask Program 2026 cask-owner intake today. If you would like to mature your own Tankyu whisky, please take a look.