It is quite safe to say that the Taketsuru is one of the most exiting whiskies that we stock here at dekanta, having won the World Whisky Awards for best blended malt six times out of ten! The Taketsuru more or less owns the award, so, if you like blended malt, then you’re not likely to find a whisky better than the Taketsuru! We at dekanta are well stocked up with this excellent whisky, and we dare say that we have more Taketsuru than anyone else. Lets take a quick look at our collection!

Taketsuru Pure Malt NAS
There are several versions of the Taketsuru available. First, there is the non-age statement (NAS) – an excellent whisky and very affordable, too. This, of course, does not quite measure up to the older whiskies, but for this reasonable price, it is, in one word, awesome!

Most of the malt in the NAS comes from the Miyagikyo distillery; on average, it is aged for ten years in many different types of casks (including sherry wood). The Taketsuru is an excellent whisky for its grade. You could do far worse than picking up a bottle of this.

We currently have a standard 700 ml bottle, as well as a 500 ml bottle for those who’d just like to give it a try! And also, if you like your whisky a little bit cute, as well as tasty, you can always get the mini bear with the mini bottle.

Taketsuru 12 Year Old
If you’d prefer to try something a little more mature, then the 12 Year Old might be the whisky for you. This is a whisky with the very finest fragrance, body, and taste. We currently have a few bottles in stock of this excellent whisky. Also, if you want to give your friends a taste of the best, we have a whole mini set just for you.

Taketsuru 17 Years Old
Let´s move on to the award winners. Nikka sends its 17 Year Old and 21 Year Old to the World Whisky Awards and it is safe to say that they have done very well, more or less monopolizing their awards for years. Judges at the 2016 awards describe the 17 Year Old in the following manner:
A rich, spicy, and sherried nose. Sweet and honeyed with vanilla notes coming through.

Dry and characterful, with a lovely smoky undertone. The finish is warm, with a short, sharp, and bitter finish.

We currently have two different versions in stock of the 17 Year Old: the no box version and a special boxed version, being perfect as a gift for any whisky connoisseur.

The Taketsuru 21 Year Old
Things only get better with the 21 Year Old, which impressively dominated the awards for years. The 21 Year Old is characterized by deep and flavorful richness; it is an extremely balanced whisky. The nose is also very notable, with its balance of an aged cask and ripe fruit. The finish appears relatively slowly.

The judges at the World Whisky Awards made the following comments about the 21 Year Old back in 2014:

Pungent and oily nose, with lots of toasty, sweet oak. Some malty notes begin to appear and the oak takes on a sawdusty, mature demeanor. With time, some spices amble through. The palate is gentle and soft with citrus, mature honey, and gentle smoke and spices. It takes its time to unfold. Medium length with quite a hot, but spicy finish. Blackcurrant Ribena. Tingling and fragrant nose. A surprise on the palate – full, peaty, and spicy. A long and peaty finish. A savoury whisky to accompany smoked cheese or pickled fish.

We currently stock three different versions of this excellent whisky: the no boxed version, the elegant boxed version and finally, the special anniversary non-chill-filtered version for those who’d like something really memorable!

The Taketsuru 25 Year Old

If you are serious about old whiskies, then the 25 Year Old might suit you. This wonderful bottle was released in 2014 by Nikka to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the construction of Yoichi – its first distillery, and the 120th anniversary of the birth of its founder, Masataka Taketsuru. This is a limited edition of the world-renowned and award-winning Taketsuru Pure Malt 21 Year Old, non-chill-filtered, with an alcohol content of 48%. This bottle is out-of-this-world-good, for those who settle for nothing but the very best!

The Taketsuru 35 Year Old
Things don’t get much better than the 35 Year Old, with this bottle being something of an enigma! We haven’t dared try it, so we’re unable to say too much about it, but judging by all other Taketsuru we’ve tried, this one should be a winner. You may be pleased to hear that you won’t find this bottle at a better price anywhere else. A win-win situation!