Yoichi 1988 20 Year Old

Nikka was founded in 1934 by Masataka Taketsuru, a former Suntory employee who had studied at the University of Glasgow, and later trained as a blender at the now lost Hazelburn distillery in Campbeltown. Taketsuru opened the Yoichi distillery in the same year as establishing the company, followed by the Nishinomaya and Miyagikyo distilleries in 1959 and 1969, respectively. Since 1989 the company has also has also had a stake in the Scotch whisky industry after they purchased the struggling Ben Nevis distillery. Today they are one of the second largest whisky producer in Japan.

This is a stunning 20 year old release of Yoichi, the Hokkaido-based flagship distillery of Masataka Taketsuru's Nikka. New oak and refill casks are used for this expression, as well as bourbon barrels and sherry butts in combination with heavily peated whisky matured in new casks.

Yoichi are famous for insisting on coal-firing their stills, and spent a vast sum on a filter to reduce the environmental impact of doing so. The distillery felt that taking the cheaper option and switching to steam or electricity would have a detrimental effect on the character of their spirit, so maintained their coal-firing methods.