Celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, Nikka Whisky – and indeed the entire Japanese whisky category – owes its existence to one man: Masataka Taketsuru. The company’s founder was born in Takehara, Hiroshima, in 1894.
His family had owned a sake brewery since 1733 and he was destined to join the business before he encountered Western-style spirits, while studying fermentation techniques at Osaka Technical School. ‘I want to make this,’ his notes recorded. ‘Once I started thinking that way, I couldn’t resist temptation.’
Young Masataka Taketsuru
Landing a job with spirits producer Settsu Shuzo in Osaka, in 1918, the final year of the First World War, he was sent to Scotland to learn about Scotch whisky. Taketsuru was the first person from Japan ever to do this; at the time it was an arduous journey, taking over 50 days by ship and rail.
Chemistry courses at Glasgow University were followed by short apprenticeships with distilleries including Longmorn in Elgin, Bo’ness – where he learned to distil grain whisky in a Coffey still – and Hazelburn in Campbeltown. The result was a series of notebooks, hand-written and with meticulous diagrams. These ‘Taketsuru Notes’ became Japan’s first manual for whisky production.
Buy tickets to the Nikka Whisky masterclass at Decanter Fine Wine Encounter Singapore 2024
Japan’s first whisky
In the wake of the economic turmoil that followed the First World War, Settsu Shuzo abandoned its plans to produce whisky. But Shinjiro Torii of Kotobukiya (later renamed Suntory) had similar designs. In 1923 he hired Taketsuru to oversee the building of Yamazaki Distillery on the outskirts of Kyoto. As distillery manager Taketsuru produced the first Japanese whisky – Suntory Shirofuda – in 1929.
Taketsuru had returned to Japan with more than his notebooks however… In Glasgow he fell in love with local lass Rita Cowan. ‘A lady was staring at me with round, beautiful eyes. That was Rita,’ he noted in his diary. Later confessing: ‘It was love at first sight.’ The pair married in Glasgow in 1920.
Masataka Taketsuru and Rita on their wedding day
Rita immediately immersed herself in Japanese culture, learning the language and also how to cook Japanese food. Importantly, she also supported Taketsuru in his dream of opening his own distillery, which happened in 1934. The couple had settled in Yoichi in Japan’s northern island, Hokkaido – chosen for its resemblance to Campbeltown, bordered by mountains and the sea.
Nikka is born
Initially making apple products as Dai Nippon Kaju – ‘Great Japanese Juice Company’ – Taketsuru was also busy designing the first pot still to be manufactured in Japan. It was installed at Yoichi Distillery in 1936 and Nikka Whisky was released in 1940. Nikka, short for Nippon Kaju, later became the company name.
Today Yoichi is distinctive for being one of the last distilleries in the world that still heats its stills with direct coal fire. This is said to impart a signature toastiness to the aromas of its malts. Yoichi was also selected as an ideal location because Taketsuru found peat nearby in the local Ishikari Plain. The company still owns a peat bog there, though these days malted, peated barley is imported from countries such as Australia and Germany to produce Nikka’s whiskies.
Coal-fired stills at Nikka Whisky’s Yoichi Distillery
Following its initial release of Nikka Whisky, the Yoichi Distillery launched Nikka Black in 1956. This was followed by Super Nikka in 1962, created as a tribute to Rita, who died in 1961.
Miyagiko Distillery
Pursuing his dreams of whisky-making alone – and inspired by the regional characters of Scotch – Taketsuru founded a second distillery, Miyagiko, near Sendai on Japan’s main Honshu island in 1969. The more southerly location lent itself to the production of lighter, more elegant whiskies to complement the bold Yoichi malts.
Coffey still at Miyagiko Distillery
Miyagiko became known for its two Coffey stills, originally imported directly from Glasgow in the 1960s. They allowed for continuous distillation, increasing Nikka’s production capacity. Nikka Coffey Grain was launched in 2012, followed by Nikka Coffey Malt in 2014 – the range also includes a Gin and Vodka, all with signature minimalist labelling.
Lasting legacy
Masataka Taketsuru ‘Father of Japanese whisky’
Following the death of Taketsuru in 1979, Nikka continued to evolve with iconic releases in the 1980s including Nikka from the Barrel and single malts from Yoichi and Miyagiko. The company was bought by Asashi in 2001 and is now the second-largest whisky producer in Japan behind Suntory.
With his remarkable series of pioneering ‘firsts’ Taketsuru created the blueprint for Japanese whisky, paving the way for its global recognition today. Little wonder the founder of Nikka has been dubbed the ‘Father of Japanese whisky’.
Nikka whiskies: Seven to try
Nikka Coffey Grain
Produced in one of Nikka’s continuous Coffey stills, this grain whisky is a mix of 95% corn and 5% malted barley, matured in ex-bourbon casks. That bourbon character runs through the palate, which is sweet and fruity, with notes of toffee, candied peel, tropical fruit and zesty citrus. Alc 45%
Nikka Coffey Malt
It’s highly unusual to distil 100% malt in a continuous Coffey still, but this expression (previously only released in single casks) became so popular that Nikka added it to the core range in 2014. It’s easy to understand the appeal: toasty tropical aromas dance across the nose – roasted pineapple and bananas Foster. Mango, banana and crème brûlée join in on the palate, with a long finish of woody spices. Alc 45%
Nikka Days
Made for Highballs, this light and bright style is a blend of malt and grain spirits from the Miyagikyo and Yoichi distilleries. Approachable and fruity, it kicks off with fresh apple and citrus aromas before the palate expands into rounder orchard fruit flavours, toffee, vanilla, gentle spice and just a whisper of peat smoke. Try it as the distillery intended: in a refreshing Highball with soda and plenty of ice. Alc 40%
Nikka from the Barrel
In its signature rectangular bottle – based on the shape of an old peat shovel – Nikka from the Barrel embodies the Nikka philosophy, blending both single malt and grain spirits from Miyagikyo and Yoichi, aged in an array of different casks, including bourbon and Sherry. Deep, complex and very rich with notes of red apple, cinnamon, butterscotch and vanilla, overlaid with woody spice; add a dash of water to open it up. Alc 51.4%
Nikka Myagiko Single Malt
This expression from Nikka’s Myagiko distillery in Sendai is a blend of single malts from different years, meaning there’s no age statement on the label. Mostly matured in ex-Sherry casks, it has rich smoky, spicy, woody aromas, with notes of citrus fruit and banana. In the mouth it’s complex and layered, with hints of dried fruit, stone fruit, malty chocolate, ginger and salted nuts, that linger on the long, soft finish. Alc 45%
Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt
Named in honour of Masataka Taketsuru, this blended malt is sourced from Yoichi and Miyagiko, with a higher percentage of the latter. It spends around 10 years maturing in a variety of casks, including ex-Sherry, which adds dried fruit aromas and rich creaminess to the palate. Caramel, delicate smoke, lots of ripe fruit and spices make a satisfying dram. Alc 43%
Nikka Yoichi Single Malt
A no-age-statement blend of single malts from different years. Elegant peat smokiness is combined with fruit notes – orange, lemon, melon, pear – spices and a hint of chocolate. Rich, smooth and harmonious, with some saltiness on the lingering smoky finish that’s emblematic of the Yoichi Distillery’s direct-coal-fired stills. Alc 45%