Collection: Nikka Whisky

The emergence of Japanese whisky can largely be attributed to Masataka Taketsuru who began his whisky pilgrimage in 1918 when he travelled to the spiritual motherland of the venerable drink; Celtic Scotland.

Masataka's family ran a Sake brewery, which is still active today, so he was already trained in spirits production before furthering his education at the University of Glasgow, where he studied chemistry.

This and his apprenticeships at Scottish whisky distilleries gave him an in-depth knowledge of whisky production and blending. In 1920, Masataka Taketsuru married Jessie 'Rita' Roberta Cowan and the couple travelled to Japan later that year.
In 1934, Masataka established Nikka Whisky and his first distillery was built in Hokkaido and named Yoichi. The area was well suited for whisky production, although its location was remote from the capital Tokyo.

Over time, Nikka has become internationally recognized as a leader in whisky production - not only in Asia, but also in competition with the Scottish heavyweights.
Nikka Whisky has received a host of awards, most recently "Distiller of the Year 2015", International Spirits Challenge (ISC), as well as numerous awards at the World Whiskies Awards