Taketsuru Pure Malt Essentials 2026 Limited Release
Asahi Breweries will release "Taketsuru Pure Malt Essentials 2026," produced by Nikka Whisky, as a limited edition on June 16. This is the first in a new series anticipating the 30th anniversary of the "Taketsuru Pure Malt" brand, characterized by a smoky aroma and deep flavor derived from coal-fired distillation.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 1, 2026 at 23:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 1, 2026 at 14:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 1, 2026 at 17:11 (2h 39m after Collected)
Asahi Breweries, Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, President: Kazuo Matsuyama) will launch the first product in the "Taketsuru Pure Malt Essentials" series, "Taketsuru Pure Malt Essentials 2026," manufactured by Nikka Whisky Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, President: Naoto Ono), as a limited edition in Japan starting June 16.
■ About "Taketsuru Pure Malt Essentials 2026"
"Taketsuru Pure Malt Essentials" is a new series that will release limited-edition products annually for five years from 2026 to 2030, anticipating the 30th anniversary of the "Taketsuru Pure Malt" brand in 2030. The name "Essentials" embodies the meaning of "essence and indispensable." Each year will feature a different theme, delivering the brand's appeal to customers.
The first product, "Taketsuru Pure Malt Essentials 2026," focuses on the coal-fired distillation method that has been inherited since the beginning of whisky production at the Yoichi Distillery in Hokkaido, the birthplace of the company. While maintaining the delicate drinkability characteristic of "Taketsuru Pure Malt," it further highlights the smoky aroma derived from coal-fired distillation and a deep flavor. It partially uses long-aged raw spirits from the Yoichi Distillery in Hokkaido and the Miyagikyo Distillery in Sendai, distilled in 2000, the year the "Taketsuru Pure Malt" brand was born. You can enjoy a rich flavor with a harmonious balance of mellow barrel aroma, malt sweetness, and peat richness, followed by a sweet and slightly bitter finish.
The packaging features the "Taketsuru" logo prominently placed on a white-based label, and the color band at the bottom of the label adopts a gradient that transitions from black, the brand color of "Taketsuru Pure Malt," to dark indigo, the brand color of "Single Malt Yoichi," expressing the theme of this release.
A total of 20,000 bottles (10,000 for Japan, 10,000 for overseas) will be released as a limited edition. Paid tastings are also planned at the "Tokyo International BarShow 2026," to be held on May 9th and 10th, prior to the launch.
■ About the "Taketsuru Pure Malt" brand
"Taketsuru Pure Malt" is a brand named after its founder, Masataka Taketsuru, and was launched in 2000. It achieves delicate drinkability by harmonizing raw spirits with different characteristics, Yoichi malt and Miyagikyo malt, through Nikka Whisky's cultivated blending techniques, using sherry cask-aged Yoichi malt and Miyagikyo malt, and re-made cask-aged Miyagikyo malt as key malts. You can enjoy a gorgeous and fruity aroma, a smooth and lustrous mouthfeel, a rich malt sweetness and richness, and a soft, lingering finish.
■ About Nikka Whisky
To commemorate its 90th anniversary in 2024, Nikka Whisky established a new communication concept, "Whisky to Enjoy Life." This concept aligns with the wish of its founder, Masataka Taketsuru, who wanted people to "enjoy whisky not for the sake of getting drunk, but to savor life, just as the British leisurely enjoy life with whisky." It embodies the desire for people to "enjoy life itself through the rich individuality and diverse ways to enjoy whisky."
In 2025, to ensure a stable supply of the Nikka Whisky brand in the future, the company invested approximately 7 billion yen in equipment, commencing construction of a cooperage, a high-rise storage facility, and a blending facility at the Yoichi Distillery. Based on continuous capital investment, Nikka Whisky aims to enter the global top 10*2 in the premium whisky category*1 in the future, through product development that leverages its strengths and proposals for diverse ways to enjoy whisky.
*1: In Japan, whisky with a suggested retail price of 2,000 yen (700ml) or more.
*2: As a total of Nikka Whisky's premium brands, equivalent to sales volume within the global top 10 of single whisky brands.
【Product Overview】
Product Name: Taketsuru Pure Malt Essentials 2026
Category: Whisky
Container/Volume: Bottle 700ml
Alcohol Content: 43%
Domestic Release Date: June 16
Release Region/Quantity: Japan: 10,000 bottles, Overseas: 10,000 bottles
Domestic Suggested Retail Price: 25,000 yen (tax excluded), 27,500 yen (tax included)
Brand Website: https://www.nikka.com/brands/taketsuru/
■ About "Taketsuru Pure Malt Essentials 2026"
"Taketsuru Pure Malt Essentials" is a new series that will release limited-edition products annually for five years from 2026 to 2030, anticipating the 30th anniversary of the "Taketsuru Pure Malt" brand in 2030. The name "Essentials" embodies the meaning of "essence and indispensable." Each year will feature a different theme, delivering the brand's appeal to customers.
The first product, "Taketsuru Pure Malt Essentials 2026," focuses on the coal-fired distillation method that has been inherited since the beginning of whisky production at the Yoichi Distillery in Hokkaido, the birthplace of the company. While maintaining the delicate drinkability characteristic of "Taketsuru Pure Malt," it further highlights the smoky aroma derived from coal-fired distillation and a deep flavor. It partially uses long-aged raw spirits from the Yoichi Distillery in Hokkaido and the Miyagikyo Distillery in Sendai, distilled in 2000, the year the "Taketsuru Pure Malt" brand was born. You can enjoy a rich flavor with a harmonious balance of mellow barrel aroma, malt sweetness, and peat richness, followed by a sweet and slightly bitter finish.
The packaging features the "Taketsuru" logo prominently placed on a white-based label, and the color band at the bottom of the label adopts a gradient that transitions from black, the brand color of "Taketsuru Pure Malt," to dark indigo, the brand color of "Single Malt Yoichi," expressing the theme of this release.
A total of 20,000 bottles (10,000 for Japan, 10,000 for overseas) will be released as a limited edition. Paid tastings are also planned at the "Tokyo International BarShow 2026," to be held on May 9th and 10th, prior to the launch.
■ About the "Taketsuru Pure Malt" brand
"Taketsuru Pure Malt" is a brand named after its founder, Masataka Taketsuru, and was launched in 2000. It achieves delicate drinkability by harmonizing raw spirits with different characteristics, Yoichi malt and Miyagikyo malt, through Nikka Whisky's cultivated blending techniques, using sherry cask-aged Yoichi malt and Miyagikyo malt, and re-made cask-aged Miyagikyo malt as key malts. You can enjoy a gorgeous and fruity aroma, a smooth and lustrous mouthfeel, a rich malt sweetness and richness, and a soft, lingering finish.
■ About Nikka Whisky
To commemorate its 90th anniversary in 2024, Nikka Whisky established a new communication concept, "Whisky to Enjoy Life." This concept aligns with the wish of its founder, Masataka Taketsuru, who wanted people to "enjoy whisky not for the sake of getting drunk, but to savor life, just as the British leisurely enjoy life with whisky." It embodies the desire for people to "enjoy life itself through the rich individuality and diverse ways to enjoy whisky."
In 2025, to ensure a stable supply of the Nikka Whisky brand in the future, the company invested approximately 7 billion yen in equipment, commencing construction of a cooperage, a high-rise storage facility, and a blending facility at the Yoichi Distillery. Based on continuous capital investment, Nikka Whisky aims to enter the global top 10*2 in the premium whisky category*1 in the future, through product development that leverages its strengths and proposals for diverse ways to enjoy whisky.
*1: In Japan, whisky with a suggested retail price of 2,000 yen (700ml) or more.
*2: As a total of Nikka Whisky's premium brands, equivalent to sales volume within the global top 10 of single whisky brands.
【Product Overview】
Product Name: Taketsuru Pure Malt Essentials 2026
Category: Whisky
Container/Volume: Bottle 700ml
Alcohol Content: 43%
Domestic Release Date: June 16
Release Region/Quantity: Japan: 10,000 bottles, Overseas: 10,000 bottles
Domestic Suggested Retail Price: 25,000 yen (tax excluded), 27,500 yen (tax included)
Brand Website: https://www.nikka.com/brands/taketsuru/