Region : Japan
Alcohol : 45%
Website : https://www.nikka.com/distilleries/miyagikyo/
Miyagikyo mostly does not use smoked malt, and unlike Scotch whiskey, the fermentation process uses different types of yeast strains. Different from Yoichi's heavy and smoky wine, Miyagikyo is relatively pure and refreshing, rich in fresh and elegant fruit flavor.
Miyagikyo is located near Sendai, the capital of Miyagi Prefecture in the Tohoku Region of Japan. It is owned by the famous Japanese whiskey producer The Nikka Whiskey Distilling Co., Ltd.) and is the second whiskey distillery built by Ichika after Yoichi.
In 1967, in order to find another suitable location to build a second distillery, Masataka Taketsuru, the founder of Ichiko, went to the northern part of the main island to explore. He hoped to expand the types of whiskey in the distillery and make blending Whiskey styles are more complex. There he found a beautiful misty glen, surrounded by mountains, at the confluence of two clear rivers. When Masataka Taketsuru tried the water from one of the rivers, he was so surprised that he immediately decided to build a winery there. Coincidentally, the river is called Nikkawa River, which has a very similar pronunciation to Ikka's Japanese name "Nikka". In 1969, Miyagikyo Distillery was officially established and was known as Sendai Distillery at the time. In 1979, the Sendai Distillery was expanded. Two years later, the winery was expanded again. In 2001, Asahi Brewery Company took over Ikko and renamed the company's Sendai Distillery to Miyagikyo Distillery.
Taketsuru Masataka hopes that Miyagi Man Distillery can form a contrast with Yoichi under different terroir conditions. The pot stills used in Miyagikyo are very different from those in Yoichi. The stills here have more diverse shapes, with protruding necks and rising Lyne Arms. These distillers are heated indirectly by steam, so the distillation can be carried out slowly and at relatively low temperatures, which makes the wine softer and more elegant, with floral aromas. In addition to producing malt whiskey, Miyagikyo also produces grain whiskey. Corn is the most important raw material in Miyagi Gorge whiskey, and the quality of grain whiskey is one of the key factors in Masataka Taketsuru's production of blended whiskey. Ichiko's grain whiskey is often called "Japanese Bourbon" . In addition, Miyagikyo also owns two Coffey stills, the first of which was introduced by Masataka Taketsuru in 1963. The Coffey distillation machine is a very traditional continuous distillation machine with an old structure and low efficiency. However, it can retain more flavor from the grain itself, so Masataka Taketsuru attaches great importance to this distillation machine. One of the Coffey distillers was originally installed at the Nikka Nishinomiya factory, but was moved to the Miyagikyo distillery in 1999.
If Yoichi is regarded as "Nikko's highland malt whiskey", if it is located in Miyagikyo, a slightly lower latitude, it can be called "Nikko's lowland malt whiskey". The Miyagikyo Distillery, built in a canyon surrounded by high mountains, was named after Miyagi Prefecture in Sendai. The "gorge" after the name of the county describes the geographical environment of the place where the factory was built. Miyagikyo is also located in the north of Japan. Masataka Taketsuru traveled here when he visited Sendai. The fresh air, moderate temperature and clean water in Sendai reminded him that high-quality barley that is indispensable for whiskey can be produced here. The distillery is located at the intersection of the Shinkawa and Hirose rivers. The natural landscape surrounded by mountains and rivers is the most ideal environment for distilling and aging whiskey.
