Tasting

Tasting Miyagikyo and Yamazakura side by side reveals two almost opposite sides of the same region. It's best to pour both neat into the glass and wait a few minutes for the alcohol to settle a little. Only then add a splash of still water to open up the finer notes.

The Nikka Miyagikyo Single Malt shows exactly the soft, fruity side that led Taketsuru to choose the bulging pot stills. It smells of ripe apples and a touch of blossom honey, with barely any smoke. Tasting the Nikka Coffey Grain alongside it reveals how mild and slightly sweet whisky from the column can become. Instead of a robust malt character, notes of vanilla and coconut take center stage.

The Yamazakura Asaka Single Malt sits quite differently in the glass. Matured for three years in bourbon casks, it smells of plum, wildflower honey, and the vanilla of American oak. On the palate, orange marmalade and toasted bread join in, and the finish stays spicy and slightly grainy. Young, but already recognizable as its own style.

Anyone looking for smoke will find it in the Yamazakura Blend Peated. This is a blend of peated and unpeated malt with a touch of grain whisky. On the nose sit lightly smoked caramel and vanilla, with grain and citrus behind. The finish carries a clear but not overwhelming peat smoke alongside yellow fruit—smokier than any Miyagikyo, yet far gentler than an Islay.

In the end, a glass from each distillery shows just how broad the region's range is. On one side, soft and floral from large pot stills and Coffey columns; on the other, young, spicy, and touched with smoke from a small family distillery. Tasting both back to back means, in effect, sampling two different visions of Tohoku whisky.