Located at approximately 400m above sea level in the center of the Satsuma Peninsula in the Satsuma mountains, the Ontake (ohn-TAH-keh) Distillery has been operating since 2019 and released its first single malt in 2023. It’s the work of Nishi Shuzo, a spirits producer best known for making Houzan-branded sweet potato shochu, a company history stretching back 180 years.
Already offering whisky matured in rare ex-solera casks, Ontake now features a cask ownership program that offers buyers access to therapeutic hot springs (called onsens), a members-only 18-hole golf course, omakase-style dining and premium overnight accommodations. A soft opening of the hotel and other on-site activities is planned for May 2026, with October 10, 2026 marked as the official grand opening.
I spoke earlier this summer with Yoichiro Nishi, the owner and CEO of Ontake Whisky and eighth-generation head of Nishi Shuzo, about this fascinating intersection of luxury, whisky and wellness. If you’re interested in participating in Ontake’s growth or visiting the property, you can inquire about cask ownership through dekantā, an online specialty marketplace for Japanese whiskies and other rare spirits. A limited number of ex-solera sherry butts and virgin oak casks, which represent a small portion of each year’s production, are available for private cask ownership.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity, and a translator was present during the Q&A.
InsideHook: You’re known for your shochu. How did you get into whisky production?
Yoichiro Nishi: While producing shochu, I found there were [things] to learn from whisky as a fellow distilled spirit. Starting about 20 years ago, I began visiting whisky distilleries abroad to study and deepen my understanding. Although both are distilled spirits and share certain similarities in equipment, the ways they are consumed and served are entirely different, not to mention the differences in ingredients and distillation methods. These differences provided valuable insights that I was able to apply to our shochu-making process. As I continued learning, I gradually came to appreciate the appeal and depth of whisky, and the desire to craft whisky in our home of Kagoshima began to grow stronger.
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When it came time to actually build a whisky distillery, we needed to find the best location. Because whisky is a distilled spirit, both the quality and quantity of water are crucial. We began searching among the lands owned by Nishi Shuzo with ideal water conditions. After conducting research, we discovered that land next to a golf course owned by the company offered the most suitable conditions. This became the site of the Ontake Distillery.
The name “Ontake Distillery” comes from the scientific name of Sakurajima, the iconic volcano of Kagoshima and a great source of local pride. From this land, you can enjoy a breathtaking view of Sakurajima, which further confirms our decision to build the distillery here and pursue whisky-making in this special place.
For visitors, what makes your distillery unique?
The goal of this distillery is to create truly good whisky that people can enjoy. We believe the environment in which a spirit is born gives it meaning — it matters where it’s made. That’s why we don’t want this distillery to be just a place of production. We want people to visit, experience the atmosphere firsthand and truly feel the environment that shapes our whisky. We’re constantly thinking about how we can make that experience as enjoyable and meaningful as possible.
One idea that came from that thinking was the inclusion of a hot spring. With hot springs, you never really know until you dig. We had reports from specialists suggesting one would likely appear if we drilled about 500 to 600 meters. But nothing came up for quite some time, and naturally, we started to worry. But I was determined to follow through, and eventually, after digging nearly 1,000 meters, we struck a hot spring with excellent water quality.
Thanks to that journey, visitors to the distillery can now also enjoy the hot spring, along with the adjacent golf course and hotel. We hope you’ll take the time to enjoy everything this place has to offer.
Was cask ownership always a central part of Ontake’s mission?
From the very beginning of establishing the distillery, we had been thinking about offering cask ownership. In our shochu business, the main distribution model has traditionally been B2B, involving intermediary wholesalers, which meant we had very few direct touchpoints with consumers. But with whisky-making at Ontake, we wanted to create something different, an experience where people could share the space with us and become supporters of the brand. From the outset, our vision was to build a community around the distillery.
When visiting distilleries overseas, we saw many offering interactive experiences — guided tours, visitor centers, retail shops. It left a strong impression. We didn’t want to simply make whisky and hand it off to intermediaries. We wanted opportunities to speak directly with our customers, to let them feel the place and meet the people behind the whisky. That’s why we saw the Owner’s Cask program not just as a product offering but as a way to form meaningful relationships and grow a community around what we’re building here.
How are you aging the barrels?
Near the distillery, we have a semi-underground warehouse that cask owners can visit. The structure is partially embedded into the ground, which helps maintain a stable temperature throughout the year and minimizes alcohol evaporation.
You utilize primarily but not exclusively ex-sherry casks. Why go that route?
At Nishi Shuzo, we’ve long been involved in developing a shochu product called Tenshi no Yuuwaku (“Temptation of Angels”), which is aged in sherry casks. So we already had knowledge and experience when it came to using sherry casks and the aging process. Of course, new oak casks are also fascinating, but personally, I’ve always been especially fond of sherry cask-matured whisky. That’s why, when we set out to make our own whisky, I wanted to start with a style I genuinely love. We expect sherry cask-matured whisky to remain the cornerstone of our style, our key malt [Editor’s note: Ontake has also released a bourbon cask and has cherry blossom, chestnut cask and mizunara oak cask releases in the planning stages]. Once all of our expressions are released, we plan to craft a signature single malt that harmoniously blends and balances these cask styles.
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