![]() ![]() And in 1954, Asahi (the beer company) acquired Nikka, which allowed Taketsuru to focus on making the best whisky possible.Īfter a lengthy search for the right location, Taketsuru founded the Miyagikyo Distillery outside Sendai, Miyagi. The company would eventually take on Nikka as its name. And it released its first in 1940 under the brand Nikka Whisky. This Yoichi, Hokkaido facility would soon make whisky. Taketsuru went on to found the Dai Nippon Kaju, or “Great Japanese Juice Company,” in 1934. But after Yamazaki was complete, the two icons had a falling out. This was the country’s first legit whisky distillery. Suntory founder Shinjiro Torii hired Taketsuru to build the Yamazaki Distillery in Osaka. He traveled to Scotland to learn how whisky was made and came back as Japan’s leader on the subject. It’s a very smooth Scotch and costs half as much as a bottle of Miyagikyo.Īs I mentioned earlier, Masataka Taketsuru, the founder of Nikka, is the godfather of Japanese whisky. Short stills with an extended distillation time lead to a fruity and elegant flavor profile. And this single malt is notable in its complete lack of peated malt. This whisky comes from a unique distillery that straddles the border between the Highlands and the Lowlands of Scotland. The final Glen alternative to Miyagikyo is Glengoyne 10 Year. And this Speyside malt is even more affordable than Glenmorangie! They both share a Sherry cask influence and a light, fruity profile. Glen Moray “Classic” is another excellent alternative to Miyagikyo. Because Glenmorangie Original costs about half as much as Miyagikyo. The main difference is the vanilla and caramel ex-Bourbon influence of the Highlands-distilled Glenmorangie. The flavor profiles of both are similar too. The first whisky that comes to mind is Glenmorangie “Original.” Like Miyagikyo, Glenmorangie has very tall stills which produce lighter whiskies. ![]() The qualities of these whiskies are just as good. So if you’re looking for the perfect alternative to Nikka Miyagikyo, Scotch is where I recommend you look. Furthermore, the father of Japanese whisky and Nikka’s founder, Masataka Taketsuru, designed it this way. Long finish of orchard fruit which fades to ash, malt, honey and burnt cinnamon.The whole Japanese whisky industry is based on Scotch. Syrupy bordering on creamy with so little burn it’s almost cooling. Hanging out under this is more of that chemically medicinal quality that sits a bit at odds with everything else. It’s not that same earthy peaty smoke like with a Lagavulin, but more of a charcoal smoke like from a grill giving it an ashy quality. Light fruit and caramel are upfront making a splash with a mild honey and a bit of smoke. Hiding behind this strangely inviting array of aromas lie some peat and a slight medicinal quality. Malt and a marmalade like sweetness rise up first followed by banana fruit leather, caramel and dried orchard fruits. A glass on the weekend, sure, just not something I’d be looking forward to after a long day. The ashy quality of the peat becomes cloying after a bit which, combined with the underlying medicinal qualities, makes it feel a bit off to me and not really something I want in my glass every day. The nose has a nice sweet and savory thing going on that I really enjoy, but the flavor and the finish are really not my favorite. Overall the Taketsuru is approachable, but not exactly what I’m looking for in a daily drinker. Trained in Scotland by master distillers he brought the process back to Japan and it’s easy to see why Japanese whiskies like this have similar attributes with Scotch and is finding a foothold amongst single malt lovers. In the case of the Taketsuru it’s a blending of single malts from the Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries and is rumored to have been the pride and joy of it’s namesake Mastaka Taketsuru who happens to be not just the founder of Nikka, but the father of Japanese whisky. This is the same thing as a vatted malt or blended malt whisky in Scotland where they take 2 or more single malts and blend them together but do not add any grain whisky to the mix. The Taketsuru line from Nikka is not a single malt, but a pure malt.
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