MIYAGIKYO Japanese Single-Malt Whisky, yesterday & today | 4 expressions

Today we’re going back to Japan, with the « other half » of my NIKKA single malt distilleries collection, the MIYAGIKYO distillery, founded in 1969 by Masataka Taketsuru on the biggest Japan’s Island, Honshu, where a lot of distilleries & blended companies facilities are located…Note that, since 1999, it also shelters NIKKA’s single-grain distillery production unit, as NIKKA’s original grain distillery, NISHINOMIYA, happened to be dismantled (in fact transformed into another unit of ASAHI beer production, ASAHI being the owner of NIKKA distilling co. & its equipment relocated there…). I owed you this episod for some time, so I will tell you more about the distillery’s history, then taste for you the 4 expressions in my collection : 2 versions of the no age statement (an old & recent one), the discontinued 10 yo & a vintage « 1990 » single-cask of 19 yo, just to give you an idea of how beautifully it can age. I will also briefly mention a couple of others I had the chance to try over the years. I know it is a long video, but for those who are only interested in tasting notes, there are chapters (time stamps) & you can skip to 24:22 for that matter.

Reminder : I explained the story of NIKKA Whisky distilling Co parent company & its iconic founder Masataka Taketsuru), in the first of my 3 videos about the other malt distillery of the group, YOICHI, and also a bit within my video about Japanese whisky story & overview of the Japanese whisky production, but I will give you the key dates for the MIYAGIKYO distillery & core range & more. Links to those videos will be provided after the time stamps :

VIDEO CHAPTERS (Time Stamps & Whiskies specs) :

0:00 Introduction
4:42 MIYAGIKYO distillery & beyond (part 1/History & first facts...)
16:05 MIYAGIKYO distillery & beyond (part 2/The old & new range & their other whiskies...see also at 41:58)
24:22 MIYAGIKYO « Single Malt » n.a.s. (aka « Non Age »), bottled in 2010 (old discontinued core range, batch 20I14A), 50 cl, 43 % (Presentation)
27:26 MIYAGIKYO « Non Age » (2010), 43 % (Nosing)
28:32 MIYAGIKYO« Non Age » (2010), 43 % (Tasting neat & then with water)
32:44 MIYAGIKYO « Single Malt » n.a.s. (new core range), bottled in 2021 (batch 6/02A541/543), 70 cl, 45 % (Presentation)
34:54 MIYAGIKYO « Single Malt » n.a.s., 2021, 70 cl, 45 % (Nosing)
37:28 MIYAGIKYO « Single Malt » n.a.s., 2021, 70 cl, 45 % (Tasting neat & then with water)
41:09 MIYAGIKYO 10 yo, bottled in 2011 (old discontinued core range, batch 24J06B), 70 cl, 45 % (Presentation)
45:27 MIYAGIKYO 10 yo, 2011, 70 cl, 45 % (Nosing)
46:42 MIYAGIKYO 10 yo, 2011, 70 cl, 45 % (Tasting neat & then with water)
49:45 MIYAGIKYO « 1990 », Vintage Single-Cask (storepick for La Maison du Whisky), distilled 16/01/1990, bottled 13/07/2009, Single-Cask N°36385 (Refill Butt), C.S. 61 % (Presentation)
53:15 MIYAGIKYO « 1990 » Vintage S.C., bottled 2009, 61 % (Nosing)
56:13 MIYAGIKYO « 1990 » Vintage S.C., bottled 2009, 61 % (Tasting neat & then with water)

LINKS About MIYAGIKYO & YOICHI distilleries & NIKKA’s other productions (single-grain, blended malts & blended whiskies expressions), there are infos & tasting notes in my website & the tasting notes attached to the distillery’s description most often have a short translation in English. Other tasting notes are available for instance in my Whisky Live Paris & other shows reports, for instance check out my report about Whisky Live Paris 2014 (especially because it was Nikka’s 80th Anniversary & they did come with a lot of novelties & storepicks -sorry it is only in French), plus a specific topic about Japanese whiskies :
http://www.gregswhiskyguide.com/actua...
http://www.gregswhiskyguide.com/notes...

My Video about JAPANESE WHISKIES (an overview) in my Youtube channel:
Overview of my collection, of the Japanese production & their regulations :
   • JAPANESE WHISKY Overview LIVE & JSLMA...  
My YOICHI distillery whiskies videos :
   • #WR My YOICHI Collection | Part 1/3 :...  
   • #WR My YOICHI Collection | Part 2/3 :...  
   • #WR YOICHI | Part 3/3: SC Vintages 19...  

Also I did mention "Mac" during the video but forgot to mention his Youtube channel I do warmly recommend (link) :    / @kanpaiplanet  

NEW : Crowdfunding link (NOUVEAU : Financement participatif possible/lien) : https://www.buymeacoffee.com/gregswhi...

REMINDER/RAPPEL:
My Whisky website: www.gregswhiskyguide.com
My Instagram: « gregswhiskyguide »
My Artist website (including Whisky related work): https://www.gregoiresarafian.com/
My Blender’s cap : More about it in this video of my channel :
   • NORTHMAEN "Cuvée 1110", French S.M. W...