Review: Nikka Miyagikyo 10 Years Old 2026
Since 2021, Japanese distillery Nikka has released regular special editions of single malts from its Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries, offering consumers a way to understand how the styles of the two distilleries compare and contrast.
Now, Nikka is at long last bringing back another, older Miyagikyo expression, one which went silent after its last release in 2014. For 2026, the whisky finally returns: Nikka Miyagikyo 10 Years Old. The label has changed (and the price, of course, has gone up) but the song otherwise remains about the same, “crafted by Nikka Whisky’s current blending team, using carefully reserved whisky batches to ensure consistency and quality for future releases.” The subtext of that: More age statemented whiskies are on the way.
We were excited to get a sample from one of only 1572 bottles available in the U.S. Thoughts follow.
Nikka Miyagikyo 10 Years Old 2026 Review
Soft but pretty on the nose, the natural fruit of Miyagikyo comes through right away, It bursts with apple particularly but also finds room for notes of orange blossom and a bit of peach. Fragrant and summery, this isn’t as sweet-smelling as some previous Miyagikyo releases, offering more of a balanced aromatic profile that tempers its fruit with gentle notes of sandalwood and polished oak.
The palate offers similar and quite engaging flavors, apple, pear, and gentle coconut notes all well-represented. The apple notes feel fresh and inviting — red over green — layers of baking spice folded into the sip. The natural woodiness of the whisky is slowly revealed as it develops on the tongue, again sandalwood and silky layers of something darker linger underneath, owing to the influence of new American oak and some sherry staves. Elegant and always inviting throughout the experience, this feels like a much more mature whisky than it is finishing on a cleansing note while evoking a hint of vanilla and nougat.
90 proof.
A / $175 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
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