Wine information:
In 1918 Masataka Taketsuru, the founder of Nikka Whisky, embarked on a long voyage to Scotland and, after enrolling at Glasgow University, became the first Japanese person ever to study whisky making. He took chemistry courses at the university and apprenticed at distilleries, learning first-hand from craftsmen and received training as a blender. Masataka would later become known as a master blender. After returning to Japan in 1920 Masataka began work for a company who would produce Japan's first whisky. In 1934, Masataka struck out on his own and established Nikka Whisky and built its first distillery in Yoichi, Hokkaido, which he had always considered to be the ideal site in Japan for whisky-making. This was later joined, in 1969, by the Miyagikyo Distillery, also in northern Japan. This luxurious blended whisky is made with malt as its primary ingredient. Using malt whisky rather than grain whisky as a base has allowed Nikka to create a blended whisky with the distinctive character found in malt-only whiskies. This whisky gives drinkers both the unique attributes of malt whisky, such as nose and palate, and the smooth drinkability of grain whisky.