Taketsuru 21 Years Old Pure Malt | A Discontinued Aged Japanese Whisky

2026.08.14

Named after Masataka Taketsuru, the founder of Nikka Whisky, Taketsuru 21 Years Old Pure Malt is a blended malt made exclusively from malt whiskies matured for at least 21 years.

It brings together malt whisky from Nikka’s two distilleries, Yoichi and Miyagikyo, combining distinctly different house styles in a single expression. The age-statement Taketsuru range was discontinued in 2020, making Taketsuru 21 increasingly difficult to encounter today.

IMAMI currently offers Taketsuru 21 Years Old Pure Malt as part of its rare whisky selection.

What Is Taketsuru 21 Years Old Pure Malt?

Taketsuru Pure Malt is what is more commonly described internationally as a blended malt whisky: a whisky made entirely from malt whiskies produced at more than one distillery, without the use of grain whisky.

Nikka uses the term “Pure Malt” for this style.

The Taketsuru range reflects one of Masataka Taketsuru’s central ideas about whisky making: that blending can bring different characters together to create greater balance and complexity than a single component alone.

The “21 Years Old” age statement means that the youngest whisky used in the blend has been matured for at least 21 years.

Producing an age-stated whisky of this kind requires a substantial reserve of long-matured malt stocks, one of the reasons older expressions such as Taketsuru 21 have become increasingly scarce.

Yoichi and Miyagikyo: Two Distinct Malt Styles

The identity of Taketsuru lies in the contrast between Nikka’s two malt whisky distilleries.

At Yoichi Distillery in Hokkaido, traditional coal-fired pot still distillation is still used. The resulting malt whiskies are generally known for their weight, depth and subtle smoky character.

Miyagikyo Distillery, located in the mountains of Sendai, produces a different style: softer, more aromatic and often marked by elegant fruit-driven notes.

Bringing these contrasting malts together allows Nikka to create a whisky with a breadth that would be difficult to achieve from either distillery alone.

Taketsuru 21 is therefore as much an expression of Nikka’s blending philosophy as it is one of long maturation.

International Recognition

Taketsuru 21 Years Old Pure Malt received significant recognition at international whisky competitions.

At the World Whiskies Awards, it was named the world’s best in the blended malt category on multiple occasions, contributing to the growing international reputation of Japanese whisky.

Long before Japanese whisky reached its current global profile, expressions such as Taketsuru 21 helped demonstrate the quality and maturity that Japanese producers could achieve.

Tasting Profile of Taketsuru 21

Taketsuru 21 shows the richness expected of long-aged malt whisky while retaining the distinct personalities of both Yoichi and Miyagikyo.

Ripe fruit and raisin-like sweetness are joined by gentle woody notes, with a restrained smoky character appearing beneath them.

More than two decades of maturation soften the texture and integrate the whisky’s different elements, creating a smooth palate and a long, composed finish.

It can be enjoyed neat to appreciate its structure, while a small amount of water may open additional layers of aroma.

Discontinued in 2020

The age-statement Taketsuru range, including Taketsuru 17, 21 and 25 Years Old, was discontinued in 2020 amid increasing pressure on stocks of long-aged whisky.

The Taketsuru name continues today through the non-age-statement Taketsuru Pure Malt, but the older age-stated expressions are no longer in regular production.

As a result, Taketsuru 21 now represents a particular period in Nikka’s history, when long-aged malt stocks from both Yoichi and Miyagikyo could be brought together in an age-stated blend.

It can also be considered alongside the discontinued Taketsuru 25 Years Old as a way of exploring the depth of Nikka’s mature malt whisky and blending tradition.