Taketsuru pure malt, Nikka whisky review

Named after the father of Japanese whisky, Masataka Taketsuru, this is a blended malt whisky with no age statement. It comprises a mixture of whiskies from Nikka’s Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries, apparently in the 10-12-year-old range, with a proportion of those finished in sherry casks.

Golden in the glass, it expresses that sherry finish on the nose, with rich pudding notes intermingling with apple, honeyed grain, a little pepper, some vanilla and wood, plus a touch of coffee.

Sipped, it’s very intense at the beginning, with the dried fruit, vanilla and pepper joined by that coffee and a hint of tobacco smoke that develops gradually. It has plenty of body, with a slightly oily quality, then finishes quickly with a savoury, almost bitter note.

Water gives space for the elements, but doesn’t change the balance significantly.

Unlike the Nikka Days whisky that also made our best Japanese whisky round-up, this has only the faintest echoes of scotch with an intriguing savoury finish.

The perfect pour

Whilst well suited to sipping neat, a perfect serve for this might be in an old fashioned. Use our traditional recipe or, alternatively, try a combination of 50ml whisky, 7.5ml syrup and a good dash of Angostura bitters stirred over ice for 30 seconds, then strained into a tumbler with fresh ice. Twist a strip of orange zest over the top and enjoy.

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This review was last updated in April 2020. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.