Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt 700ml
Japanese Blended Malt Whisky - 43% ABV - No age statement (2020) - Yoichi and Miyagikyo malts with sherry and remade cask components | Nikka Whisky, Japan

Two Distilleries, One Voice

Named for Masataka Taketsuru, this pure malt is Nikka’s statement of balance. The blend draws on contrasting houses: Yoichi on Hokkaido with its muscular, smoky edge; Miyagikyo in the Miyagi hills with a softer, fruit led style. In 2020 the recipe and label were refined, not to chase novelty, but to knit these characters more tightly and let the malt read as one clear line.

The core idea is harmony by design. Key parcels include sherry cask maturations from both sites and remade cask malts from Miyagikyo, chosen for detail rather than volume. The aroma rises with orchard fruit and vanilla over gentle oak; the palate gathers banana, navel orange and honeyed grain, then a quiet, deep peat note adds depth without weight. Texture stays silky from first sip to finish, lifted by the 43 percent bottling strength.

Nothing here is loud. The oak is present but measured, the peat a steady undertone, the sweetness checked by spice and fine tannin. It is a whisky built to feel composed in any glass, neat on a calm night or bright in a highball, and always unmistakably Nikka in its poise.

Craft, Not Swagger

Taketsuru Pure Malt shows how blending can be both precise and generous. Two sites, many casks, one voice that speaks of place and patience.

Final Thought

Classic yet current, this is Nikka’s malt blueprint: fruit first, oak in support, peat in reserve, all stitched together with quiet confidence.

Awards:

World Whiskies Awards 2023 - World’s Best Blended Malt Whisky

World Whiskies Awards 2014 - Best Japanese Blended Malt Whisky

International Spirits Challenge 2024 - Gold

International Spirits Challenge 2022 - Gold

International Spirits Challenge 2020 - Gold