Nikka Miyagikyo Single Malt

Miyagikyo distillery was founded in 1969 by Nikka, also known for their other distillery Yoichi that is located on the northern island of Hokkaido. Miyagikyo is located close to Sendai, a town 300 km to the north of Tokyo, and the distillery was called Sendai for a period of 32 years to be renamed Miyagikyo only after Nikka was taken over by the Asahi Brewery Company in 2001. Miyagikyo’s production output is actually larger than Yoichi’s, with most of its malt going into Nikka’s popular range of blended or vatted whiskies and with only a small percentage being bottled as single malt.

The nose is sweet and nutty, full of vanilla, caramel, and with some notes of cheesecake. I also detected cinnamon and some woody character.

The palate is medium-bodied and sweet, with again caramel and vanilla making a distinct appearance. Half-way through the palate becomes surprisingly spicy.

The finish is mouth-watering and delightfully long, with notes of vanilla and caramel lasting until the very end and culminating in a nice bouquet of spicy flavours.

I am mightily impressed by this no age statement whisky. It has a delightfully rich nose, a colorful palate and a surprisingly long finish. In Japan a 50cl bottle markets for as low as 1,200 yen (about 10 Euros), which simply is incredible value for money. If you see a bottle, grab it!

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