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 :
www.gregswhiskyguide.com/actua...
www.gregswhiskyguide.com/notes...
My Video about JAPANESE WHISKIES (an overview) in my KZbin channel:
Overview of my collection, of the Japanese production & their regulations :
• JAPANESE WHISKY Overvi...
My YOICHI distillery whiskies videos :
• #WR My YOICHI Collecti...
• #WR My YOICHI Collecti...
• #WR YOICHI | Part 3/3:...
Also I did mention "Mac" during the video but forgot to mention his KZbin channel I do warmly recommend (link) : / @kanpaiplanet
NEW : Crowdfunding link (NOUVEAU : Financement participatif possible/lien) : www.buymeacoffee.com/gregswhi...
REMINDER/RAPPEL:
My Whisky website: www.gregswhiskyguide.com
My Instagram: « gregswhiskyguide »
My Artist website (including Whisky related work): www.gregoiresarafian.com/
My Blender’s cap : More about it in this video of my channel :
• NORTHMAEN "Cuvée 1110"...

[@GregsWhiskyGuide]

👉NEW, for those interested : Crowdfunding link (NOUVEAU : Financement participatif possible/lien) : buymeacoffee.com/gregswhiskyguide

[@NoteworthyWhisky]

Thanks for sharing all the history! Let’s hope the age statements come back soon, at a decent price (yeah right 😆) Cheers, Greg!

[@GregsWhiskyGuide]

Thanks, Sheldon....hem for the price I have doubts (as I suppose they'll be obliged to align it on the Yoichi 10 yo new style (& it is sold around 150 € here), but we'll see...

[@WhiskyLoversSociety]

That 1990 sounds the business. Nice video

[@GregsWhiskyGuide]

Yep, delicious, and very complex...Thanks for watching, Gert !

[@KensDeathMetalCrypt]

Hello Greg. Sorry I haven't watched in a bit. I've been extremely busy with all things life. Very interesting to see whiskies from Japan. Cool stuff. Cheers.

[@GregsWhiskyGuide]

Hi Ken, no worries, I know I do mostly long videos so it's not easy for people to keep up (same for me even with shorter videos as I support a lot of channels). Yes I'm interested in Japanese whisky since 2 decades at least, and collected most of them when they were not as expensive as today...I hope you'll try some good ones some day...I did several videos about this topic & for the record whiskies from several distilleries there won international contests of Best whisky in the world (wether it was a single malt or a blended whisky) a lot of times since year 2001 where it appeared as a shock to the judges who tasted a Yoichi single malt blind & put it over all Scotch whiskies they tried...Some of them indeed can rate very high in my book too, Cheers !

[@KanpaiPlanet]

I especially enjoyed your tasting of the rare single casks! Great video, and thanks for the shout out. Kanpai!

[@GregsWhiskyGuide]

Thanks, Mac, it means a lot coming from you...And I hope you & I will be enjoying again new single casks from them in the future, even if I doubt about of their affordability for us...Also, I forgot to mention in the video (as I was seeing the time go by too fast) some stunning Nikka Coffey Grain single casks & cask strength I had the chance to try over the years (some are reviewed quickly within the Whisky Live Paris reports on my website). Btw, do you know if Miyagikyo new 10 yo is already available at least in Japan or will be this year ? I haven't seen it yet here...Thanks in advance & Kanpaï ! 🥃

[@KanpaiPlanet]

​@GregsWhiskyGuide No Miyagikyo 10 out yet. Nikka are selectively dropping some single casks exclusively for Taketsuru Senior Ambassador bars, but no general release yet.

[@GregsWhiskyGuide]

@@KanpaiPlanet Thanks a lot,, Mac ! 👍

[@KanpaiPlanet]

@@GregsWhiskyGuide どういたしまして

[@GregsWhiskyGuide]

@@KanpaiPlanet can't read Japanese but I guess you answered "Do Itashimashte" or smt like that

[@user-ww3nz4jk4x]

Bonjour Greg, merci pour cette vision de Miyagikyo. N'ayant pas encore goûté cette gamme, je ne savais pas que certains embouteillages étaient légèrement tourbés. Je pensais que c'etait uniquement le cas du Yoichi. Du coup j'hésite entre Miyagikyo et Yoichi pour un prochain achat 😅

[@GregsWhiskyGuide]

De rien, Guillaume, merci d'avoir vu ma vidéo ! Pour te répondre la tourbe est très très discrète sur la version sans âge actuelle...Si tu aimes une tourbe modérée, à la Highland Park ou Ardmore, le Yoichi est pour toi, mais si tu es plus Speyside, prend le Miyagikyo...ou bien, essaies les avant d'acheter...Es tu sur Instagram ? On pourrait en parler plus avant en privé (ou sinon tu peux m'écrire sur la messagerie de mon site internet...

[@davidowen2834]

Hi Greg. An interesting video, enjoyed watching it 👍. That nikka Miyagikyo is around €75 in Germany, now do you think It’s worth a buy? It’s quite pricey. Slàinte Greg.

[@GregsWhiskyGuide]

Thanks, David...Good question...I don't know enough your standards & pressure, and also profile desires regarding your whisky collection, it is very personal, but I'll say this, this is a very good whisky, but if you want to get you only one distinctive Japanese whisky, and you like moderate peat, I'll suggest rather to get the Yoichi nas (my favorite distillery after Port Ellen and before Springbank, which speaks volumes), or, wait for the new Miyagikyo 10 yo or 12 yo to come back in the core range, but I'm afraid it is not going to be cheap....Let me know your choice anyway...