Distiller Notes
Taketsuru Pure Malt is a blended malt whisky named after our founder Masataka Taketsuru, the first Japanese who mastered whisky-making in Scotland and brought this expertise back to Japan. This expression, launched in 2020 with a refined blend and label, highlights the complexity and preciseness of blending inherited from Masataka and is a blend of casks from the Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries. While remaining a smooth and well-balanced blended malt, the formula has been refined to further showcase an exquisite balance between elegant softness and deep complexity along with rich mouthfeel and smokiness.
Proof: 86
Sharing a great deal with Scotch in terms of production methods and ingredients, today’s hugely successful commercial market of Japanese Whisky owes much to the research of Masataka Taketsuru. In 1918, this Japanese national travelled to Scotland with the intention of studying organic chemistry but instead became fascinated with Scotch Whisky production. Similar to Scotch Whisky, Japanese Whisky also uses malted barley as the fermentation base and long-term aging in wooden barrels. However, the often-used Mizunara oak, rather than French or American oak, imparts uniquely spicy and citrus-like characteristics to a Japanese Whisky.