NikkaSuperRareOld(700mL)

<p>Nikka Super Rare Old is a story of love and spirit across time and space. </p><p><em>Masataka Taketsuru </em>was the son of a Sake producer. As a young man, he was sent to Scotland to learn the secrets of Whisky. He did… but he also learned about love. He met Rita Cowen — a Scottish lass whom he married and took back to Japan with him. He remained employed by other Spirits makers for a few years, but Rita encouraged him to step out on his own. In 1934, he founded Yoichi Distillery that came to be a great success. </p><p>Yoichi Distillery lies in southern Hokkaido and is surrounded on three sides by mountains, a terrain much similar to the one Taketsuru found in Scotland. Yoichi possesses its own cooperage and is particularly careful when selecting its <em>hogshead barrels</em>, which are made on-site using new oak. Yoichi produces <em>big, oily Whiskies in the Highland style. </em></p><p>Taketsuru was doing great — making a range of Whiskies as Japan’s first master distiller. In 1961, Rita — the love of his life — passed away. He knew that <em>the best way to demonstrate his affection </em>was to make a <em>Whisky masterpiece</em>… one of the loves that they shared as a couple. He chose his oldest and finest Single Malt Spirits and made the Super Nikka Rare Old, released the following year in 1962. Rare full bottles still come up for auction. </p><p>The current masters at Nikka decided to do it all again. They purchased and tested one of the rare surviving 1962 Super Nikka bottles from a private collection. Then they <em>aged and blended and tested </em>until they got it just right. The result … Nikka Super Rare Old Whisky. It is a <em>heavier, thicker Whisky </em>more true to the original than the more commercial flasks that have made the rounds. </p><p>It is a special release from a special source and a hallmark from a special time in the Whisky history of Japan. <em>Watashi wa anata no kenkō ni nomimasu (I drink to your health). </em></p>