The Invisible Power of Yeast That Masataka Taketsuru Believed In: Miyagikyo Aromatic Yeast 2022

2026.10.05

In short: Masataka Taketsuru, father of Japanese whisky, believed in the power of yeast. Nikka’s Miyagikyo Aromatic Yeast 2022 uses a special yeast from Nikka’s culture collection that produces apricot and peach esters — a character once too sensitive to use, tamed with used casks and peat. From Bar Little Happiness, Hiroshima.

Masataka Taketsuru, the father of Japanese whisky.

Miyagikyo in Sendai, which he chose as his second home, is a distillery with a bright, elegant character — in contrast to Yoichi in the northern land of Hokkaido.

It is well known that Taketsuru’s family ran a sake brewery, and because of those roots, he believed more than anyone in the power of yeast, an invisible microorganism.

The “yeast culture collection” he collected and kept researching is still carefully passed down as a treasure of Nikka Whisky, and drives the creation of a wide variety of spirits.

2022: a limited “aroma boost”

A whisky’s character is usually discussed in terms of “still shape” or “cask maturation,” but Miyagikyo Aromatic Yeast 2022, released in limited quantities in 2022, put the spotlight on the stage before that: “fermentation (yeast).”

Fermentation is an extremely important ritual that creates the “esters (aroma compounds)” that define a whisky’s character.

From Nikka’s vast library, a special yeast was chosen that strongly produces aromas like apricot and peach.

It is an attempt to layer rich yellow fruit on top of Miyagikyo’s natural apple-like freshness.

(Borrowed from the Miyagikyo website ↑)

The true meaning of “a hidden, unexpected character”

Nikka officially describes it as “a hidden, unexpected character.”

Why is this so full of surprise, beyond a simple “fruity Miyagikyo”?

The heart of it is that “the fruits of Nikka’s many years of yeast research came together in an ideal form through the blender’s skill.”

Why it was “hidden”: extreme sensitivity

The spirit made with this special yeast had long found it very hard to step into the spotlight. The reason: its character was “far too sensitive.”

Too much: it would instantly break Miyagikyo’s natural bright balance.

Too little: that special aroma itself would vanish without a trace.

Finding that “just right point” was extremely difficult, so it waited in the warehouse as a “difficult character,” hard to fit into Miyagikyo’s traditional line-up.

The moment of “discovery”: the answer today’s blenders found

In 2022, today’s blenders skilfully tamed this tricky character using “used casks” and “a moderate amount of peat.”

Used casks: keeping the cask in the background so the yeast-derived aromas take the lead.

Moderate peat: a “weight” that anchors the delicate aromas at the centre of the palate.

A character once thought “too strong to use” turned out to be able to coexist as a new charm of Miyagikyo…

“Finding that perfect landing point” is the conclusion of the story behind the 2022 release.

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Official tasting notes

Making the most of Miyagikyo malt’s elegance, rich ester aromas like ripe apricot, white peach and fully ripe banana are layered on top. A perfect harmony of soft malty richness and just the right amount of peat.

Every encounter is meant to be. Welcome to the world of Rum & Whisky.

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