scarlet iseya distillery
Iseya Distillery is the brainchild of Osaka born Tatsuya “Moto” Motonaga. A veteran bartender who held down positions at legendary Tokyo establishments like Bar Caol Ila and Bar Benfiddich, Moto san has always held a deep appreciation for amari, the bitters of Europe. After visiting some 70 distilleries across the country, Moto returned to Japan and built Iseya Distillery in a100 year old house that he renovated in Kanagawa Prefecture. The Distillery rents a neighboring farm that Moto uses to grow many of their herbs including mugwort and wormwood. Scarlet the first of its kind and is Iseya Distillery’s flagship brand that effectively has established a new spirits category in the form of Japanese Amari.
PRODUCTS
Scarlet Aperitivo 28.0% ABV
Taking inspiration from the classic Italian red bitters of the 1970’s, Scarlet Aperitivo is the first of its kind. A true Japanese Amari that is comprised of 25 distinct botanicals, many of which are grown by Tatsuya Motonaga at his farm in Kanagawa. All steps of the process to make this elixir are done hands on, in small batches, without automation. All the botanicals that Moto san farms himself are done completely free of pesticides, with little human intervention. Additionally, Scarlet Aperitivo is colored in the traditional way using a natural dye derived from Cochineal insects. This amari is bittersweet with a roundness and soft spice seldom seen in its European counterparts. It pairs especially well with espresso and soda, making for a fantastic pre or post meal drink. Regardless of how you enjoy it, Scarlet Aperitivo is undeniably delicious.
Scarlet Radice Amaro 30.0% ABV
Scarlet Radice Amaro leans into its base of more than 30 herbs and roots, many grown by Iseya Distillery on their plot of farmland. This exceptional amaro takes inspiration from the classic yellow, root-based bitters of the 1970’s and gives it a Japanese twist. It takes roughly 3 years to grow some of the proper roots needed for this amaro, and thus, is a labor of love for the Iseya Distillery. Bright and complex, the star botanicals of citrus peel, angelica root, wormwood, and black cumin really shine in this lovely sipping amaro. Enjoy it on the rocks or in a White Negroni, any way you drink it, this will surely become a staple in your bar cabinet.
Scarlet Cask Marriage Batch #6 29.0% ABV
Iseya Distillery’s Scarlet Cask Marriage Series sees their classic 25 herb rich Aperitivo aged in whisky barrels for up to a year. Batch #6 was rested in empty barrels from the legendary Chichibu Distillery in Saitama. A brilliant melding of flavors between the bittersweetness of the Aperitivo and the rich oak of Chichibu’s barrels. Incredibly limited and very quaffable.
Scarlet Cask Marriage Batch #7 30.0% ABV
Iseya Distillery’s Scarlet Cask Marriage Batch #7 utilizes ex-peated whisky barrels from Hiroshima’s Sakurao Distillery. For this batch, the base neutral spirit derived from sugar cane was aged in these barrels for about a year, and then infused with roughly 20 botanicals including fennel, wormwood, cinnamon, and blood orange peels. The result is a gently smokey amaro full of apricot, bitter chocolate, tobacco, and menthol. Scarlet Cask Marriage Batch #7 is a beautiful example of complex sophistication in a bitter.