These stills produce Nikka’s range of Coffey Malt and Grain Whiskies as well as their newer gin and vodka. One of the largest brick buildings at Nikka houses the continuous Coffey stills named for the inventor Aeneas Coffey. Each still has been adorned with a simenawa (a scared rope) and white washi paper streamers folded into zigzags, traditionally used in shrines to denote sanctity and purity. The result is a floral and soft Miyagikyo single malt. Here at Miyagikyo, the team makes whiskies in larger pot stills with bulging necks and ascending lyne-arms heated with indirect steam at lower temperatures for slower distillation. Masataka tasted the water from the Nikkawa River below the mountains of Sakunami and knew from its purity that he’d found the perfect location for his second distillery.įrom the banks of the river to the production facilities, views of the fermenter, wash stills, and spirit stills are marked with large white signs written in English and Japanese. With similar qualities to Speyside in Scotland, the lush riverside valley next to the Nikkawa River was believed to be a prime location for making whisky. He had begun distilling whisky at his Yoichi Distillery in Hokkaido in 1936, many years earlier. The region has become known for having an ideal climate for growing rice and produce (including Sendai’s famous strawberry farm) and Masataka-widely considered to be the father of Japanese whisky-traveled to the region in the late 1960s. Heading about 24 kilometers inland from the Sendai city center, tours and tastings at the Nikka Distillery Miyagikyo are a highlight for whisky enthusiasts. Cafes, restaurants, and highball bars can be found throughout Sendai. The city is home to castles and museums filled with historical artifacts as well as architectural sites including Sendai Mediatheque designed by Toyo Ito, and creative agencies like Wow. With a population of over one million, Sendai is the largest city in Japan’s Tohoku Region. Dipping hands in the river to taste the fresh water connects visitors to Masataka’s original vision for Nikka in the serene valley in Sendai. A pair of swans swim slowly across the glassy water.Ī short walk down to the banks of the Nikkawa River reveals why Nikka founder Masataka Taketsuru believed he had found the ideal location to build a distillery. As visitors walk along the tree-lined road, the sound of water rushes below, and the path leads to a picturesque pond surrounded by large red brick buildings. Visitors may tour the facilities freely at their own pace while referring to the guide map inside the pamphlet.Arriving at the long driveway that leads into the Nikka Miyagikyo Distillery, a yellow sign warns of bears and monkeys in the area. A distillery tour pamphlet will be distributed to visitors upon arrival.Visitors may explore the facilities freely with the use of a guide map. After completion of the guided tour,visitors are welcome to continue viewing the facilities until closing time. Facilities on the tour are open until 5:00 p.m.It takes about 30 minutes and tasting a couple of glass whisky in the end of the tour.Ī Japanese-speaking guide will kindly introduce you to the whisky manufacturing process, the history of Nikka Whisky and more. If you go to Nikka, you should take part in a tour. The factory tour with a guide is very nice and interesting. This is the first factory he built in Japan. He studied abroad to Scotland for making whisky. Masataka Taketsuru, the founder of Nikka Whisky, is the leading person of Japanese Whisky.
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