Nikka Yoichi 1969/2019 - 50th Anniversary of the Miyagikyo Distillery

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 48% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Nikka released this Yoichi Limited Edition in 2019 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Miyagikyo Distillery. The anniversary spans the period from its founding in 1969 to 2019. Only Yoichi malts from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s were married for this bottling. This single malt carries no age statement.

The combination of older and younger Yoichi components brings oak and smoke alongside vanilla and maple syrup. Barley sugar, cocoa and a hint of honey complement the malty sweetness. Charred oak and orange peel add further accents.

The matte black bottle features a sea motif that reflects Yoichi's coastal location and comes in a dark premium box. It contains 0.7 litres of whisky at 48% alcohol. For the Japanese market, Nikka announced 700 bottles each of the Yoichi edition and the separately released Miyagikyo edition for the launch on 12 March 2019.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Sweet, buttery notes on the nose recall pancakes with maple syrup. Oak-derived vanilla and peat with a coastal character accompany them.
• Palate: Bitter dark chocolate, aromatic roasted barley malt and peat smoke come together on the palate.
• Finish: The very long finish reveals oak, including charred notes, and vibrant orange peel. Powerful peat remains persistently present, with a trace of barley sugar rounding out the finish.

Distillery/Bottler:

The Yoichi Distillery on Hokkaido produced all the malt components in this anniversary bottling. Masataka Taketsuru founded Nikka's predecessor, Dai Nippon Kaju, in 1934; the distillery was completed in October of the same year. The first Nikka Whisky was released in 1940. The company took the name The Nikka Whisky Distilling Co., Ltd. in 1952 and also produces this official bottling.

A second distillery followed in 1969 with Miyagikyo in Sendai. This allowed Nikka to deliberately produce whiskies with different characters. Alongside pot stills, Miyagikyo has traditional continuous Coffey stills, which have been located there since 1999. They operate less efficiently than modern equipment but retain components and flavours from the raw materials in the distillate.

Facts: