If you look at Nikka's core malt whiskies, three bottles stand out: Taketsuru Pure Malt, Single Malt Yoichi and Single Malt Miyagikyo. In Japan all three come in 700ml bottles at the same suggested retail price, and their labels look alike — so it's easy to wonder which one to pick.
The relationship between them is actually simple. Yoichi and Miyagikyo are single malts, each made at just one distillery. Taketsuru Pure Malt combines malts from both of those distilleries. In other words, Taketsuru brings together the best of Yoichi and Miyagikyo in one bottle.
Below we compare how they are made, how they taste, how to drink them and what they cost in Japan, and offer a simple guide to choosing. For a closer look at just Yoichi and Miyagikyo, see our article Yoichi vs Miyagikyo.
The three at a glance
| Taketsuru Pure Malt | Yoichi | Miyagikyo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Style | Pure malt (blended malt) | Single malt | Single malt |
| Whiskies used | Malts from Yoichi and Miyagikyo | Yoichi distillery malt only | Miyagikyo distillery malt only |
| Nose | Soft oak with apple and pear | Soft oak, malty sweetness, rich fruit | Sweet, lush apple and pear with vanilla |
| Palate | Full malt richness, a hint of peat | Powerful, toasty peat | Dried-fruit sweetness, smooth |
| Smoke | Gentle | Clearly present | Almost none |
| ABV | 43% | 45% | 45% |
| Bottle | 700ml | 700ml | 700ml |
Put simply: smoky, powerful Yoichi; elegant, fruity Miyagikyo; and Taketsuru balancing the two.
Single malt vs pure malt
The key to understanding these three is the wording on the label.
- Malt whisky: whisky made only from malted barley
- Single malt: malt whisky from a single distillery. It shows that distillery's character directly
- Pure malt (blended malt): malt whiskies from more than one distillery, combined. No grain whisky (made from corn and other cereals) is added
What most people call "blended whisky" combines malt and grain whisky. Taketsuru is different: it uses malt whisky only. "Pure malt" is the term Nikka uses on the label; the general category name is "blended malt".
Where they come from: Masataka Taketsuru and two distilleries
All three come from the two distilleries built by Nikka's founder, Masataka Taketsuru, often called the father of Japanese whisky.
Yoichi: powerful malt from coal-fired stills
Yoichi distillery, Nikka's first, opened in 1934 in the town of Yoichi, Hokkaido. Taketsuru, who had studied whisky making in Scotland, chose the site for its cool, humid climate. The pot stills there are still heated by direct coal fire, producing a powerful, weighty spirit.
Miyagikyo: elegant malt from steam-heated stills
Miyagikyo distillery opened in 1969 in a valley west of Sendai, where the Hirose and Nikkawa rivers meet. Taketsuru built this second distillery to make spirit with a different character from Yoichi, so the two could be combined into richer whiskies. Malt here is distilled with indirect steam heating, giving an elegant, smooth spirit.
Taketsuru Pure Malt: two characters in one bottle
The Taketsuru Pure Malt brand, named after the founder, was born in 2000. It marries malts from Yoichi and Miyagikyo — the very idea behind building the second distillery, in bottle form. It was named World's Best Blended Malt at the 2023 World Whiskies Awards.
How they taste
On this site, each whisky page rates five flavor traits on a scale of 1 to 5. Side by side, the three look like this:
| Flavor (1–5) | Taketsuru | Yoichi | Miyagikyo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoky | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Sweet | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Fruity | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| Spicy | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Rich | 4 | 4 | 3 |
These are our own guide ratings.
- Taketsuru Pure Malt: sweet, soft oak with apple and pear on the nose; full malt with a hint of peat on the palate; a bittersweet finish with gentle smoke. You can find both Miyagikyo's fruit and Yoichi's peat, with neither dominating — the most rounded of the three
- Yoichi: soft oak, malty sweetness and fruit, then powerful, toasty peat. The smokiest of the three. (Peat is the turf burned to dry malted barley, which gives a smoky aroma)
- Miyagikyo: lush apple and pear with soft vanilla, dried-fruit sweetness and a smooth texture. Almost no smoke — the lightest and most elegant of the three
Best ways to drink them
| Taketsuru | Yoichi | Miyagikyo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neat | ◎ for malt depth | ◎ for power | ◎ for aroma |
| On the rocks | ○ | — | — |
| A few drops of water | — | ○ | ◎ opens the aroma |
| Highball | ◎ gentle peat | ◎ toasty notes | ○ light, apple-like |
◎ = especially recommended, ○ = recommended, — = not listed among the recommended serves on our whisky pages (you can still drink it that way).
In Japan, the highball — whisky topped up with chilled soda water, usually served in a tall glass with ice — is one of the most popular ways to drink whisky with food. Taketsuru's gentle peat comes through nicely in a highball, and it pairs well with rich, sweet-savory dishes like yakitori with tare sauce or braised pork belly. Yoichi suits grilled and smoked food; Miyagikyo goes well with salt-grilled beef tongue or fruit desserts.
For more ideas, see our guide to Japanese whiskies for highballs.
Reference prices in Japan
| Whisky | Size | Reference price in Japan (tax incl.) |
|---|---|---|
| Taketsuru Pure Malt | 700ml | approx. ¥7,700 |
| Yoichi | 700ml | approx. ¥7,700 |
| Miyagikyo | 700ml | approx. ¥7,700 |
Prices are Japanese reference retail prices as of October 2026 (manufacturer's reference price including tax), following the price revision for shipments from April 2024. Actual prices vary by store and over time, and prices outside Japan will differ.
Which one should you choose?
| If you... | Try |
|---|---|
| Are new to Nikka's malts | Taketsuru Pure Malt |
| Love smoky, powerful whisky | Yoichi |
| Love sweet, fruity aromas | Miyagikyo |
| Want just a little smoke | Taketsuru Pure Malt |
| Don't like smoky whisky | Miyagikyo |
| Want one bottle for food and sipping | Taketsuru Pure Malt |
| Want to explore each distillery's character | Yoichi and Miyagikyo |
If in doubt, start with Taketsuru. It has both fruit and peat in moderation, so it helps you find your direction: want more smoke, move to Yoichi; want more fruit, move to Miyagikyo.
Tasting all three
If a bar lets you order a glass of each, try them in the order Miyagikyo → Taketsuru → Yoichi, from least to most smoky. When you get to Taketsuru, look for Miyagikyo's fruit and Yoichi's peat — you'll see exactly how a pure malt is built.
Summary
- Taketsuru Pure Malt: a pure (blended) malt marrying Yoichi and Miyagikyo malts. Fruit and richness with gentle peat. 43% ABV
- Yoichi: single malt from Yoichi in Hokkaido. Powerful and smoky, from coal-fired stills. 45% ABV
- Miyagikyo: single malt from Miyagikyo near Sendai. Elegant, fruity and smooth. 45% ABV
- All three share the same reference price in Japan, so choose by how much smoke you enjoy
To explore more, see our Japanese whisky guide. Please enjoy responsibly and only if you are of legal drinking age.