Nikka Miyagikyo Single Malt Peated 48%
| Article: | Nikka Miyagikyo Single Malt Peated |
| Country: | Japan |
| Region: | Honshu, Sendai |
| Whisk(e)y type: | Single Malt Whisky |
| Distillery: | Miyagikyo |
| Bottler: | Nikka Whisky Distilling Co. Ltd. |
| Alcohol: | 48% |
| Flavour: | Rich and complex. Subtle notes of toast, dry peat and twigs highlight the distinguished character of the first nose. Allowed to breathe, the peat becomes more intense, almost meatier (Grisons meat), while simultaneously taking on a light veil of smoke. In the climax, exotic fruit (passion fruit, mango) and fresh fig bring lots of breadth and energy to the palette of aromas. |
| Taste: | Distinguished and dynamic. The attack is just as exotic, while also revealing both honeyed (lime blossom) and floral (hyacinth) notes. As for the peat, it finesses itself into every nook and cranny. Covered in a fine layer of ash, the mid-palate is deeply rooty (ginseng, gentian), allowing the expression of an extremely salty and refreshing minerality. |
| Finish: | Long and well-balanced. At the start of the finish, a chocolate, vanilla and spicy (saffron) peat takes centre-stage. Tangy flavours of ripe fruit (Mirabelle plum, greengage plum, William’s pear) slowly spread across the taste buds. The intensely rich retronasal olfaction beckons us to savour a delicious slice of plain pound cake. The empty glass precisely replicates the aromas of Havana cigar, wildflowers (daisy, buttercup) and black liquorice. |
| Special: | Non chill-filtered. |
| Number of bottles: | 20.000 world wide |
Original Tasting Notes.
Miyagikyo Distillery (est. 1969, island of Honshu)
Masataka Taketsuru, Nikka's founder, aimed to make his blends more complex by widening the variety of whiskies. In 1967, he was exploring the northern part of Honshu to find another ideal site for his second distillery. He came across a beautiful foggy glen surrounded by mountains and at a junction of two clean rivers. Once he tried the water from one of the rivers, he was so impressed that he immediately decided to build a distillery there.
Miyagikyo's terroir and distillation method are quite a contrast compare to Yoichi's. The pot stills are much larger with different shapes such as a bulge neck and an ascending lyne arm. They are heated by indirect steam at a much lower temperature that allows slower distillation. Hence a soft, fruity and floral character of spirit.
| Further details | |
| Country of origin: | Japan |
| Company: | Nikka Whisky Distilling Co. Ltd. |
| Address: | 5-4-31, Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8616, Japan |
| Distributor: | La Maison du Whisky |
| Address: | 9-11 Rue Martre 92110 Clichy, France |