"Taketsuru Pure Malt Essentials 2026" Limited Release

Asahi Breweries, Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, President: Kazuo Matsuyama) will launch "Taketsuru Pure Malt Essentials 2026," the first in the "Taketsuru Pure Malt Essentials" series produced by Nikka Whisky Distilling Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, President: Naoto Ono), as a limited edition in Japan starting June 16.

About "Taketsuru Pure Malt Essentials 2026"

The "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, indispensable." Each year will feature a different theme, delivering the charm of the brand to customers.

The first release, "Taketsuru Pure Malt Essentials 2026," focuses on the coal-fired distillation inherited from the early days of whisky production at the Yoichi Distillery in Hokkaido, its birthplace. While maintaining the delicate smoothness characteristic of "Taketsuru Pure Malt," it further highlights the fragrant aroma derived from coal-fired distillation and a deep, rich flavor. It partly uses long-aged malts from the Yoichi Distillery in Hokkaido and the Miyagikyo Distillery in Sendai, distilled in 2000, the year the "Taketsuru Pure Malt" brand was born. Enjoy a rich flavor balanced with a mellow cask aroma full of maturity, malt sweetness, and peat richness, followed by a sweet and bittersweet finish.

The package features the "Taketsuru" logo prominently on a white-based label. The color band at the bottom of the label expresses this year's theme by adopting a gradient that transitions from black, the brand color of "Taketsuru Pure Malt," to dark indigo, the brand color of "Single Malt Yoichi."

A total of 20,000 bottles (10,000 in Japan, 10,000 overseas) will be released as a limited edition. A paid tasting will also be held at "Tokyo International Bar Show 2026" on May 9-10, prior to the release.

About the "Taketsuru Pure Malt" brand

The "Taketsuru Pure Malt" is a brand named after its founder, Masataka Taketsuru, and was born in 2000. It achieves a delicate drinking experience by harmonizing different characteristics of unblended whiskies from Yoichi and Miyagikyo through Nikka Whisky's cultivated blending techniques, using sherry cask matured Yoichi malt and Miyagikyo malt, and remade cask matured Miyagikyo malt as key malts. You can enjoy a gorgeous, fruity aroma, a smooth and lustrous mouthfeel, a profound 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 founder Masataka Taketsuru's wish, "I want people to drink to enjoy, not just to get drunk, just as the British savor life slowly with whisky." It embodies the desire for people to "enjoy life itself through the rich individuality and diverse ways of enjoying whisky."

In 2025, to ensure a stable supply of Nikka Whisky brand products in the future, the company invested approximately 7 billion yen in facilities, commencing construction of a cooperage, a high-rise storage warehouse, and a blending facility at the Yoichi Distillery. Moving forward, based on continuous capital investment, Nikka Whisky aims to enter the global top 10*2 in the premium whisky category*1 through product development leveraging 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: Total sales volume of Nikka Whisky's premium brands equivalent to being within the global top 10 of single whisky brands.

【Product Outline】

Product Name: Taketsuru Pure Malt Essentials 2026

Item: 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 excl.) 27,500 yen (tax incl.)

Brand Website: https://www.nikka.com/brands/taketsuru/