Description

• Alcohol %: 43%
• Decant Time: 15 minutes
• Taste: smoky, vanilla, butterscotch, citrus peel, dried fruit, pear, lychee, peach syrup, spice (cinnamon), oak, waxy, sappy
• Food Matching: dark chocolate (70%+), smoked salmon, grilled beef / yakitori, aged hard cheeses (Parmigiano, Comté), charcuterie, spiced nuts
• Grape Variety:

Tasting note

品飲筆記：這款竹鶴純麥以圓潤的果香和沉穩的煙燻交織，先是溫和的木質香料、香草與檸檬餅乾的明亮香氣，入口則帶有蠟感與豐厚口感，蜜糖、奶油糖與桃糖漿的甜感在果梨、荔枝的清甜中游移，最後以胡椒與肉桂式的香料和細緻木質收尾。 酒莊與釀造：為紀念創辦人竹鶴政孝而設的招牌酒款，強調傳承自蘇格蘭的嚴謹釀造與調和技術，2020 年調方與包裝更新，仍維持「純麥」（調和麥芽威士忌）的理念，由朝日啤酒旗下的Nikka負責生產。 釀造工藝：以來自不同蒸餾廠的麥芽酒精組合，經多種橡木桶熟成，兼顧煙燻、木質香與果甜的平衡。裝瓶度數為43% ABV，採T型頂塞。飲用建議：淨飲最能感受層次，加幾滴水或靜置10–20分鐘能釋放更多果香與香料氣息。 田野與原料：雖非葡萄酒，卻能感受到來自麥芽田、不同蒸餾廠（如余市、宮城峡風格交融）的差異：沿海的煙燻與內陸的果甜在桶陳與調和中達到和諧。

Tasting note: A composed and layered blended malt that opens with gentle wood spice, smoke and vanilla, edged by lemon-biscuit citrus and hints of preserved lemon. The palate is rich and waxy with sappy fruit — star fruit, Asian pear, lychee and peach syrup — backed by butterscotch and light caramel. Oak-driven spice and a refined smokiness lead to a long, warming finish. Producer notes: Created as a tribute to founder Masataka Taketsuru, this signature label seeks the balance between elegance and depth. Reformulated in 2020 with a refreshed label, it celebrates traditional Nikka blending methods: a ‘pure malt’ assembly of malt whiskies from multiple distilleries rather than a single-site bottling. Owned by Asahi Breweries, Nikka continues to honour Taketsuru’s Scottish-trained craftsmanship. Winemaking / production notes: A blended malt matured in a selection of oak casks to deliver both polished wood spice and soft sweetness. Bottled at 43% ABV with a T-top cork, the expression emphasizes careful vatting of malt spirit components to achieve a sappy, waxy mouthfeel and layered aromatic profile. Best enjoyed neat, with a few drops of water to open the aromas, or poured and rested in the glass for about 15 minutes. Vineyard / barley notes: While not a wine, the character here reflects thoughtful malt handling and cask selection across Nikka’s distilleries — marrying coastal-leaning smokiness with inland fruitier, softer styles. The result feels like a dialogue between barley-derived sweetness and oak spice.

Winery

Nikka（竹鶴）威士忌釀造公司：由竹鶴政孝創立，將蘇格蘭技藝帶回日本，強調精細的蒸餾與調和工藝。Nikka 從旗下蒸餾廠挑選麥芽酒心、精選橡木桶陳，以平衡的煙燻感與果香著稱，目前為朝日集團旗下品牌。

Nikka Whisky Distilling Co. — Founded by Masataka Taketsuru, Nikka blends Scottish techniques with Japanese craftsmanship. The company sources malt spirit from its distilleries and selects casks to create balanced blended malts that emphasize finesse, smokiness and fruit-driven complexity. Owned by Asahi Breweries.