Cuvée presentation
Offered by Nikka Whisky
Since its launch in 2011, the Artist range has explored the diversity of whisky’s great terroirs through annual selections of the most remarkable casks tasted by the team each year. Primarily dedicated to Scotch single malts, the collection now embarks on a new chapter by bringing together the Japanese distilleries Yoichi and Miyagikyo within a single collection for the very first time. This exceptional series celebrates both the 70th anniversary of La Maison du Whisky and twenty-five years of partnership with Nikka Whisky.
Shortly before Whisky Live Paris 2025, nearly thirty samples were evaluated during a blind tasting alongside Hiromi Ozaki, who served as Chief Blender at the time before handing over leadership to Junji Iseki. From this session, eight casks were chosen for their distinctive character. Each bottling highlights a distinct aspect of Yoichi or Miyagikyo, ranging from bold intensity to remarkable precision and finesse.
Japanese photographer Yoshiki Hase was invited to design the labels for the Artist Nikka Whisky range. Working in natural landscapes, he constructs transient geometric installations that he captures using long exposure techniques. His work explores the dialogue between human intervention and the forces of nature, focusing on what time reveals, alters and erases. This artistic approach directly echoes the maturation of whisky, where passing years slowly shape the character of each cask.
YOSHIKI HASE
Japanese-born Yoshiki Hase is a multi-award-winning photographer. Through his series DESSIN, he creates temporary installations directly in natural settings, capturing the atmosphere of a location and rendering the passage of time tangible. His works, both understated and deeply poetic, integrate seamlessly into the world of this Artist anthology range.
This lot includes:
- 1 x 70cl bottle of MIYAGIKYO 2000 Aged 25 Years ARTIST Nikka Whisky, signed by photographer Yoshiki HASE and Nikka Whisky’s ex-chief blender, Hiromi Osaki
- 1 x 70cl bottle of YOICHI 1991 Aged 35 Years ARTIST Nikka Whisky, signed by photographer Yoshiki HASE and Nikka Whisky’s ex-chief blender, Hiromi Osaki
- 1 x 5cl hip flask of MIYAGIKYO 2000 Aged 25 Years ARTIST Nikka Whisky
- 1 x 5cl hip flask of YOICHI 1991 Aged 35 Years ARTIST Nikka Whisky
- 1 x unique print signed by photographer Yoshiki HASE of his piece, “Landscape with a Green Curtain and Pot Stills”, size 29.4 x 42 cm, covering the bottle of MIYAGIKYO 2000 Aged 25 Years ARTIST Nikka Whisky
● 1 unique print signed by photographer Yoshiki HASE of his piece, “Landscape with a Blue Curtain and Pot Stills”, size 29.4 x 42 cm, covering the bottle of YOICHI 1991 Aged 35 Years ARTIST Nikka Whisky
The distillery Nikka Whisky
Nikka's founder Masataka Taketsuru is considered the father of Japanese whisky. After completing studies in chemistry, he was recruited by the Settsu Shuzo company, who sent him to Scotland in 1918 to complete his apprenticeship. There he developed a passion for whisky and decided to dedicate his life to it. In 1934, he built Yoichi, his first distillery, on the island of Hokkaido. Its growing success enabled him to establish a second distillery in 1969, near Sendai, named Miyagikyo. It is from the single malts of these two distilleries that the Nikka Whisky group produces its entire range of Japanese whiskies.
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