Kujira Ryukyu emerges from a distillery with roots far deeper than whisky alone. Masahiro Shuzo was founded in 1883 by Shobun Higa in Shuri, Okinawa, a former castle town of the Ryukyu Kingdom. For over a century, the distillery produced awamori, the traditional Okinawan rice spirit that was prized by Ryukyu nobility and sent as tribute to China and Japan. That legacy of slow fermentation and distillation in a subtropical climate now underpins their rice whisky.

This 20-year-old expression is distilled from 100% premium Indica rice and matured in bourbon casks. Okinawa's climate—hot and humid—accelerates cask maturation significantly, while the Pacific breeze imparts subtle character. Masahiro's blenders hand-select the casks from their collection.