Taste Testing Ishigaki Island's Nagura Rums; Nagura 56 And A Sneak Preview Of Ishigaki Distilleries' First Aged Rum

Ishigaki Island is a pure and pristine agricultural paradise with a subtropical oceanic climate that is painted by scenic beaches and crop fields that allow for two of the island's most popular attractions - its dive spots and the wagyu beef. The island, within the broader Yaeyama archipelago of Okinawa, is so far south of Japan, that it's in fact closer to Taiwan. And so it is here on this picturesque, pastoral land that we find one Ishigaki Distillery.

Established in 2023, with the distillery completed and ready in 2024, Ishigaki Distillery was founded by François Combes and his wife Izumi. Combes had been a pharmacist by training, having worked in laboratories in Hong Kong when he would begin visiting Japan in the 1990's to help launch new products. He ended up finding much opportunity in Japan, first in his field, before getting into real estate to much success. His real estate ventures would eventually take him to Ishigaki Island where he had been working on a project involving a beachfront resort, which was all the exposure he needed to fall in love with the island. Having seen the vast swaths of sugarcane growing on the island, Combes would figure that if Japanese whiskies and gins could be recognised the world over for their quality, then perhaps Japanese rums would as well.

Of produce and dive spots, Ishigaki Island is now home to its own rum.

Now, even today, Japanese rums remain incredibly niche, with much of it coming out of Okinawa given its sugarcane holdings, yet historically have always been relegated to being a by-product of Okinawan black sugar making (which the islands are famous for, prized for its medicinal benefits and often purchased by tourists as a souvenir), where its mills had simply wanted to eke out every conceivable product from its sugarcane fields and would thus readily employ industrial methods. In recent times, this has nevertheless begun to change, with a small and dedicated handful of passionate Japanese rum distillers beginning to put in serious effort into producing artisanal rums, some of which have shown great promise.

François and his wife Izumi.

Yet, as the saying goes, it's always easier said than done, and Combes would quickly realise just how difficult it was to establish a distillery on the island. If bureaucratic red tape involving production licenses, multiple rounds of paperwork and inspections for imported distilling equipment, and having to convince local farmers to lease their land to you often on a handshake agreement sounds like something you wouldn't be keen on getting yourself into, well, thankfully its an exciting challenge that Combes welcomes. A self-described opportunist of an entrepreneurial mindset with a penchant for risk taking, Combes professes that he enjoys taking up challenges and solving problems in pursuit of excellence, which makes him cut from a rarefied cloth of folks whose aptitudes are uniquely suited to this endeavour. It would take Combes and the small team at Ishigaki Distilleries 2 years just to line everything up and finally start production proper. "There are two ways to do it. I chose the second one; it's kind of my style. In other words, either I spend three years studying rum in rum-producing countries and then never do it, or I take the plunge, make a lot of mistakes, and then, problem after problem, we try to solve them. God knows there have been plenty, and we try to solve them. That's the soul of an entrepreneur: facing challenges." says Combes.

Hand harvesting cane.

Combes would quickly understand that people of Ishigaki were devoted to their agricultural way of life, and had thus needed to see that Combes' venture - or anything new happening on the island for that matter - was one that was going to find resonance with the local culture and not just another flash in the pan. This meant demonstrating that Ishigaki Distilleries was here to stay as a viable business, would be inclusive of the locals, and would proudly represent the island. "Initially, there might have been some mistrust, with people thinking we might never be able to pull off this project. But as the project progressed, they saw that we were moving forward, that we needed them, and so, through our discussions, they really helped us a lot. Without them, we couldn't have made rum; it's simply not possible. That's what I always say: when you come to the distillery, there are all the photos of the farmers on display, because it's thanks to them that we were able to do this. At first, I thought maybe we'd never make it, but in the end, we did. When you drive through our cane fields, it's practically our main route now; everyone comes to see if we're doing well," reflects Combes.

Nagura's label bears the print "Typhoon Resistant".

With the help of local farmers, the team at Ishigaki Distilleries would identify two out of the ten available local varieties, which were not only of high quality, but were uniquely typhoon resistant, a real and frequent concern for the island. Rather than snapping under the strong winds, these special varieties would bend and spring back. On top of that, the team was pointed in the direction of superior growing plots that were situated on plains, which the team would make the deliberate choice of renting and growing their own cane, as opposed to purchasing cane or juice from farmers. Furthermore, unlike most other Japanese rum-makers, which already is but just a small handful of them, who make use of cane or cane byproducts harvested from a different location than where the fermentation and distillation happens, Ishigaki Distillery's rum, Nagura, is entirely produced on the island itself, from cane to juice to rum, capturing a true singular essence of Ishigaki Island. This effort to grow their own cane allows the team to ensure that the cane was sustainably farmed and cut and cleaned to precision with an artisanal approach. Typical industrial harvesting would see a stalk of cane mechanically cut four times and also coated in debris, yet Combes would realise that more cuts would degrade the quality of the juice as it allowed for high exposure to oxidation, which in turn meant that the cane would begin fermenting before it had even reached the mill. As such, Ishigaki Distillery's team would cut each stalk of cane minimally, using only two cuts that is done by hand - at the top and bottom of the cane - which is then gathered and run through the mill within 24 hours of harvest. Only fresh cane juice from the first pressing is then used for distillation, with particular attention paid to ensuring that there is no bitterness in the juice. This cuts yields down significantly given that more can be produced through multiple pressings which is a common practice, yet does the job of achieving high clarity in the juice and subsequent rum.

With the initial goal of producing a Japanese rum, Combes had wanted to ensure that Ishigaki Distillery's rum - a 100% sugarcane juice agricole rum - was markedly differentiated from that of famed rhum (as it is known in French style rum-making regions) styles the likes of Martinique or Guadeloupe. For Combes this meant the hiring of a Japanese whisky distiller whose sensibilities he believed would transmit to the resulting rum, informed by the taste and preferences of the Japanese. Noticeably Ishigaki Distillery's Nagura rum ("Nagura" being a Japanese waterstone that is used to sharpen knives and swords) also eschews the use of the term "rhum" or "agricole", which would typically be associated with the use of 100% sugarcane juice, instead preferring for the rum to be understood as being of its own genre, and perhaps more specifically a Japanese one. This would nevertheless turn out to be contrary to other Japanese rums on the market, which tended to prefer to associate themselves with the French aesthetic which is often perceived as being better crafted.

Cask ageing with aged rums on the near horizon.

Consequently, Ishigaki Distillery uses a hybrid still that consists of a custom-made copper pot still and a continuous still that is designed to give both body and cleanness to the rum. Using predominantly the heart cut of the distillation (the center portion of the spirit that is produced in each run, as opposed to the heads and tails that comes before and after), the distillery relies on its distillation manager's expertise to make the cuts instead of an automated mechanical setting. This is then filled into barrels from Bourbon to whisky barrels, with also the use of more exotic woods such as Mizunara and chestnut, that is then left to age in the hot and humid climate of the island, giving the rums a tropical ageing. Thus far, the distillery has only formally put out various proof versions of its white rum, with most of its spirit directed at barrel ageing, which is due to be released within the next year.

Ishigaki Distillery has sought to be inclusive to the locals.

Beyond the rum-making, Combes has sought to put in serious efforts into two other areas, the first being ecological friendliness and secondly, the trajectory in which the rums are promoted and marketed. On the ecological aspect, the distillery has been steadily improving its footprint, with thus far a reduction in the use of water, as well as a recycling of the bagasse and vinasse (the spent cane and leftovers from distillation respectively) into cattle feed and fertilisers, with also minimal use of plastic (it's label is also particularly made with Japanese paper). The distillery has also sought to be socially inclusive, providing employment for locals with disabilities who are roped in to help with the cane pressing, as a means to give back to Ishigaki. Its next goals in this regard are to do with its energy usage which it hopes to improve in lock step with the distillery gaining experience year on year with its processes. Much of this can be understood through the distillery's two principles that it's adopted - that of Yanbaru (to mean biodiversity and a respect for nature, seen in the distillery's use of local ingredients and sustainable methods) and Yuimaru (to mean community cooperation and collective effort, with the distillery's efforts to integrate the Ishigaki community).

Glass by glass, Nagura wants to win its fans over through word of mouth.

On the promotion and marketing areas, Combes is resolute in that the rum should gain popularity the hard way, through word of mouth and the gradual taking off, first having to gain acceptance locally in Ishigaki, then Okinawa, and thereafter Japan's major cities such as Tokyo. "If you can't succeed where you are, there's no point in looking elsewhere. That's true in any business. You have to succeed first; it's not easy because it's rum, but you have to do it." says Combes. As such, Combes would only push for the Nagura rums to be first featured in local bars, and initially sold only at the distillery's shop (now it's also in select specialist liquor stores), with distillery tours and tasting trips designed to immerse would-be fans into the Nagura story proper, as opposed to maximising volumes sold through as many channels as possible. The distillery has also sought to validate itself through expert opinions in the form of spirits awards - it's won a Gold at the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) in London and the title of Best Japanese Craft Rum Distillery at the Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition (TWSC) - which is believes the recognition of which will help gain the trust of local Japanese consumers.

"They're actually proud that we've built a distillery with a rum of this quality. They come to the distillery to show it to their friends and colleagues, without even asking us. We couldn't put up a barrier to tell them not to come into the distillery, but it's part of the experience; you absolutely have to be with them because it's thanks to them, really. What I would say is that they're very proud to have this rum. I've never emphasized that we've made a Japanese rum; we've made an Ishigaki rum. This explains its success in all the restaurants and bars of Ishigaki, because it's their rum, it's the island's rum." 

François Combes, founder of Ishigaki Distilleries

And so with all that said, it's time to try Ishigaki Distillery's Nagura 56 white rum, and as a treat, we'll also get to taste a first sneak preview of the distillery's aged rum!

Let's go!

PS. Thank you to Monsieur Fred of the illustrious The Rum Cartel, who so kindly organised a rum tasting with one of rum's foremost independent writers The Lone Caner, which also doubled as a gathering of some of Asia's most serious rum fans!

Rum Review: Nagura Rum 56, Ishigaki Island Rum White, 56% ABV | 名蔵ラム 56度

Tasting Notes

Colour: Clear

Aroma: It opens grassy and fragrant, of freshly crushed sugarcane and pandan leaves. Really clean and with great clarity, encased in a creamy richness of vanilla fondant. There are also herbal tones of licorice, with also delicate florals of frangipanis and violets. It's almost chewy. Finally a more mineral undercurrent of wet stone.

Taste: Medium-bodied, rich and creamy here with a gentle vanillic sweetness, giving lychee cream cake, with a herbal chewiness of licorice. That grassiness continues to show, with also herbal tortoiseshell jellies. There's a precision about the intensity here. Touch of greenness of green bananas and green olives, with a dash of salt and also ginger that garnishes the body.

Finish: Fragrant and musky banana blossoms, with still those herbal licorice roots, belying a cream canvas. It's got a firm and impactful finish that lingers on with a tingly spiciness of szechuan peppercorns, with licorice and cream that carries through.

My Thoughts

Generously rich with a very impressive precision and clarity to the flavours, preserving very well that fresh idyllic grassiness, the Nagura 56 has the stature and body to hold its own. This clarity allows for the complexity of the rum to come through, and at the same time makes clear what great structure it has. It's also very multi-dimensional, with pastoral perfumes, a rich chewiness to the body, and a firm spiciness that carries through, making for both a very excellent sipping rum or also a cocktail base. It's not one of those over the top, overkill rums, yet it doesn't hold back its boldness either. Impactful on the finish, that mouthcoating body carries through its total length with great vivacity. 

Rum Review: Nagura Rum Ex-Whisky Cask Aged, Ishigaki Island Rum, 2 Year 6 Months, 58% ABV | 名蔵ラム 58度

Aged for 2.5 years in an ex-Whisky American oak cask. The barrels come from an undisclosed (very famous) Japanese distillery.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Gold

Aroma: Super fragrant with purple floral tones of violets and lavender, accompanied by warmer notes of brown sugars and baking spices, with herbal tones of licorice, sarsaparilla and cola cubes. That grassiness is present as well, developing on to herbal confectionary tones of tortoiseshell jelly. There's a creamy suppleness of custard pudding and creme brulee too that backs up the aromas.

Taste: Medium-bodied, it opens with a very resolute and precise punchiness and intensity that envelopes the rich and supple body of caramel custard and creme brulee topped with brown sugars and cinnamon baking spices. Nestled within is an earthy core of licorice and menthol that is garnished with mint leaves. It's herbal and idyllic, yet warm and confectionary, expressed with a good intensity and presence.

Finish: A persistence of the body, lots of verve and power, with perhaps more earthiness and savouriness, of licorice, sarsaparilla, cinnamon and cloves into the burnt brown sugar finish. Touch of rancio here, with those herbal roots of licorice and angelica lingering on, accompanied by the burnt brown sugar oiliness and a spread of creme brulee custard.

My Thoughts

A really forward rum that is so bold and full of power - particularly impressive for the typically laid back nature of agricoles - yet at the same time keeping all of that idyllic, grassy freshness and lift. This feels like a middle ground between a rhum agricole and an English style rum, where there's the herbal and spiced tones that takes the top, with the richer, more bodied confectionaries supplying the base. This very delightfully combines to give a thoroughly enjoyable amalgamation yielding caramel custard and creme brulee, which is of course something of a crowdpleaser. Besides this being a style of rum that I personally particularly enjoy, it's first and foremost outstanding for taking an agricole and preserving all of its delicateness, yet beefing it up and giving it so much body and power. An incredibly bold agricole - if we must categorise it - that stands on its own, very unique and therefore in this case Japanese, as Nagura joins the march in defining the burgeoning style.