Hakkaisan Brewery Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Minamiuonuma City, Niigata Prefecture, President: Masato Nagumo, hereinafter "Hakkaisan Brewery") will release the rice grain whisky "Hakkaisan Single Grain Uonuma 8 Year Rice Whisky 2026LIMITED," made using only its own distilled raw spirit, in a limited quantity. General applications for a lottery will begin on July 1, 2026, via the Hakkaisan Online Store. It is also scheduled to be handled at bars in major cities through specialized distribution channels. Last year's release, "2025LIMITED," was Hakkaisan Brewery's first whisky and was very well received. "2026LIMITED" maintains the concept of 100% own distilled raw spirit aged for 8 years or more, while offering a flavor unique to this year. Hakkaisan Brewery's Challenge: Crafting Uonuma's Unique Whisky Hakkaisan Brewery began producing its distilled spirit, rice shochu, at the Fukasawa Gen Distillery in 2005, and commenced whisky production at the same distillery in 2016. As a challenge unique to a sake brewery, it produces rice-based grain whisky. Whisky made solely from its own distilled raw spirit with rice as the main ingredient is a rare product with few parallels worldwide. For the mash, "Raiden-sama no Shiro" (Raiden's Pure Water), the伏流水 (fukuryusui - underground water) from the sacred Mt. Hakkai, is used, and fermentation is carried out with sake yeast. To preserve the raw ingredients' flavor, distillation is limited to twice. For aging, as an endeavor that spans Japan's distilled spirit culture, barrels of "Hakkaisan Authentic Rice Shochu Oak Barrel Aged Fubai-ka"—an authentic rice shochu aged in oak barrels—are used. Only its own raw spirit, aged for 8 years or more in American white oak and French oak barrels, is used. Expanding Hakkaisan's Whisky Production from Rice Grain Whisky Starting with this rice grain whisky nurtured in Uonuma, Hakkaisan Brewery is advancing its whisky production across the entire group. At its group company, Niseko Distillery, locat