Nikka Miyagikyo Distillery

photo by Tak1701d · CC BY-SA 3.0

photo by くろふね · CC BY 3.0

In 1967 Taketsuru tasted the water of the Nikkawa River and chose this as the site, between two rivers.

The pagoda-roofed towers of the drying halls, in Scottish style, rise among the trees of a valley where the Hirose River meets the Shinkawa, which the locals call ‘Nikkawa’, by pure coincidence with the company's name. The 70-minute guided tour follows the distilling process from malt to barrel and ends in the tasting room.

Masataka Taketsuru had founded the first Nikka distillery at Yoichi, in Hokkaido, in 1934: thirty years later he was looking for a second site, with a different microclimate, to blend with Yoichi's. On 12 May 1967 he visited this valley about 20 km west of Sendai, made a highball of Black Nikka with water from the Shinkawa River and, struck by its quality, decided there and then to build here. Work began in March 1968 and the plant opened on 10 May 1969. Few trees were felled during construction, the natural topography was preserved and the power cables were laid underground.

ℹ️ Free guided tour of about 70 minutes, with departures every 30 minutes between 9:00 and 15:00 (the site closes at 16:00); booking recommended online, by phone or by fax. At the end, a free tasting of whisky and other spirits; anyone under 20, driving a vehicle or pregnant is offered soft drinks. You can visit the shop without booking the tour.

🚉 Sakunami · 28 min walk

Sources: tohokukanko.jp · ja.wikipedia.org · baralba.jp

All series · Open the map