Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt 17 year is a blend of the two Nikka single malts described as combining “… the strong character of Yoichi with the elegance and precision of Miyagikyo. Both masculine and feminine, traditional and innovative, this outstanding pure malt whisky is a worthy tribute to Masataka Taketsuru, the father of Japanese whisky and founder of Nikka.” It was voted the world’s best blended malt whisky in 2012 in 2014. Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2004 described it as “Not a whisky for the squeamish This is big stuff, about as big as it gets without peat or rye. No bar shelf or whisky club should be without one”