Second Baki Label Whisky Released: Retsu Kaioh Featured on Secret Islay 2009 Single Malt

WHISKY MEW will release the long-awaited second entry in its Baki label whisky series, following the 2024 Hanma Baki release. This edition features Retsu Kaioh, a master of Chinese martial arts and one of the most popular characters in the series, on the label. Keisuke Itagaki’s martial arts manga Baki began serialization in Weekly Shonen Champion in 1991 and remains hugely popular through its latest ongoing series, Baki Rahen, as one of the most powerful fighting manga franchises ever created. The whisky selected by Hideo Yamaoka is Secret Islay 2009. The distillery name is undisclosed, but it is known for using heavily peated malt and for having the highest phenol level on Islay, earning it a reputation as Islay’s strongest distillery. Whisky from this distillery also appears in Baki, in the bar scene where Retsu Kaioh drinks with Doyle from Scotland. Secret Islay 2009 offers a clear peat-smoke aroma, a heavily peated and spicy character, and a long smoky finish. It is described as an ideal malt for peat lovers. The release invites whisky fans to enjoy this prized single malt while recalling the memorable Baki scene in which Retsu Kaioh drains the whisky that Doyle describes as “a distinctive Scotch, but once you get used to it, it becomes addictive.” The product is Baki Retsu Kaioh Label / Secret Islay 2009. It is priced at 33,000 yen including tax, with a total outturn of 297 bottles. Each bottle is 700ml, aged 15 years, bottled at 51.5% ABV, made from malt, and produced in Scotland, United Kingdom. Lottery reservations run from May 28, 2026 at 12:00 to June 4, 2026 at 23:59. A total of 250 bottles will be sold by lottery, with applications limited to two bottles per person, through the WHISKY MEW website. WHISKY MEW is a project born from Hideo Yamaoka’s wish to introduce more people to the diverse appeal of whisky. Yamaoka, a world-renowned whisky collector and former manga editor at Shogakukan, works with ShoPro to pair selected whiskies with labels from manga, anime, art, and other creative works. He personally tastes and selects Scotch and Japanese whisky casks while exploring whisky’s diversity in many forms.