Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt 17 Year Old Blended Malt Japanese Whisky [Big Box]

Nikka's range of blended, pure malt, and single malt whiskies offers thrilling new discoveries for whisky enthusiasts. Among their notable expressions was the now-discontinued 17 Year Old bottling, a tribute to the Father of the Japanese Whisky Industry, Masataka Taketsuru.

Masataka Taketsuru's life story is the stuff of legends. Sent to Scotland in 1918 as a young apprentice by his Japanese employers to unlock the secrets of whisky-making, he not only returned with that knowledge but also with Rita Taketsuru (nee Cowan), who played a pivotal role in the development of the Japanese Whisky industry. Thanks to her connections to Japanese high society, Masataka was able to secure the financing for what is now known as Nikka Whisky. A century later, the Taketsuru 17-year-old expression was awarded Best Blended Whisky at the World Whisky Awards in 2012 and 2018, a fitting accolade for this remarkable blend of malts from Nikka's two distilleries, Yoichi and Miyagikyo.

The Taketsuru 17-year-old has received rave reviews, with notes of firm oak, layers of malt, a touch of peat-coffee, and a massive, complex profile. It features a toasted, honeyed front that leads to intense and intricate malt notes, with a superb finish. The whisky showcases waves of malty complexity and a touch of late marmalade, making it a bold and remarkable offering that stands out among whiskies of its kind. This is a whisky not for the faint-hearted, but one that any serious whisky enthusiast will appreciate and treasure.