Miyagikyo distillery, formerly Sendai and Sakunami, was founded in 1969 as Nikka’s second distillery after the celebrated Yoichi on Hokkaido. As with Yoichi thirty-four years earlier, Miyagikyo was the brainchild of the great Masataka Taketsuru. Supposedly he stumbled upon the picturesque location by chance, instantly realising its potential as a prime spot for whisky production.
The distillery has eight pot stills and two pairs of Coffey stills making its capacity more than double that of its more famous elder brother. Award winning in their own right, Miyagikyo’s whiskies are softer than those made at Yoichi making them vital for a number of Nikka products.