🥃 Nikka

Nikka is a Japanese whisky brand and company founded in 1934 by Masataka Taketsuru, who learned whisky making in Scotland. The first distillery stands in Yoichi on Hokkaido, and the second, Miyagikyo, near Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture. Nikka has been part of Asahi Breweries since 2001.

History. Taketsuru studied in Glasgow from 1918 and in 1919 trained at the Longmorn distillery in Speyside. In 1923 he joined Kotobukiya, now Suntory, and oversaw the construction of the Yamazaki distillery; he left in March 1934. According to the company's chronicle, Dai Nippon Kaju was established on 2 July 1934 and the Yoichi distillery was completed that October. The first Nikka Whisky and Nikka Brandy appeared in 1940; the name joins the first syllables of Nippon Kaju. The company took the name The Nikka Whisky Distilling Co. in 1952. A Coffey still was installed at the Nishinomiya plant in 1963, Miyagikyo was completed in 1969, the Scottish Ben Nevis distillery joined Nikka in 1989, Coffey stills were moved to Miyagikyo in 1999, and in 2001 Nikka joined Asahi Breweries.

How it is made. Yoichi uses traditional direct coal-fire distillation, the same method as at Longmorn, where Taketsuru studied. According to the distillery, the chilly climate allows slow maturation, and snowmelt flowing into the Yoichi River is the water base of its whisky. Miyagikyo makes malt whisky in pot stills heated by steam and grain whisky in Coffey stills, using water from the Nikkawa River.

Range. Nikka's website lists the Yoichi and Miyagikyo single malts, Taketsuru Pure Malt and From the Barrel. Check the label for the type and strength of each bottle.

Why it matters to you. The label shows which distillery and what kind of whisky is in the bottle. The WHO reminds us: no level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health.