Spirits · Yoichi, Hokkaido
Nikka Whisky Distilling
Japanese whisky house founded by the man often called its father.
- Founded
- 1934
- Founded by
- Masataka Taketsuru
- Based in
- Yoichi, Hokkaido
Their story
Nikka is the company Masataka Taketsuru built after a lifetime spent learning whisky. Born in Hiroshima in 1894, he was sent to Scotland in 1918 to study chemistry in Glasgow and train at distilleries. Back in Japan he oversaw the construction of the Yamazaki distillery and made the country's first whisky there in 1929.
In 1934 he struck out on his own, opening the Yoichi distillery on the island of Hokkaido. The first Nikka whisky came out in 1940, and a second distillery, Miyagikyo near Sendai, followed in 1969. Taketsuru died in 1979, and Nikka has been owned by Asahi since 2001.
How it's made
At Yoichi, the pot stills are still heated by direct coal fire, a rare practice that gives the malt a toasty character. Miyagikyo runs two Coffey stills for continuous distillation, which expanded what Nikka could make and how much.
Our featured pick
Whisky From The Barrel Japanese Whisky (750ML)
$100.00
Award-winning and absolutely full of flavor. Combines malt and grain whiskies from Miyagikyo & Yoichi distilleries, aged in ex-Bourbon and Sherry cases.
Shop Nikka Whisky Distilling
15 in stock
Why we carry them
Nikka is a great entry point into Japanese whisky, and the range runs from easy blends for highballs to single malts worth sipping slowly.
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