Nikka Whisky unveils 40-year-old releases in new ARTIST collection

There are expensive whiskies, and then there’s a S$26,000 (approximately RM83,081.20) bottle of Yoichi that only 38 other people in the world could theoretically own. That’s assuming, of course, that anyone who manages to get their hands on one actually intends to open it. The bottle in question is a 40-year-old single cask from Nikka Whisky’s Yoichi distillery, one of eight  rare Japanese whiskies making up La Maison du Whisky’s (LMDW) new ARTIST Nikka Whisky collection. It is also the oldest single-cask Yoichi ever released, joined by an equally historic 40-year-old Miyagikyo. Both were distilled in 1986, when Japan’s whisky industry looked rather different from the internationally celebrated one we know today.

The collection marks several milestones. For the first time, Nikka Whisky has allowed single casks to be bottled outside the company, an arrangement made possible by its 25-year partnership with LMDW. It also coincides with the French spirits specialist’s 70th anniversary, bringing two of Japan’s most respected distilleries into an ARTIST series that has traditionally focused on Scottish single malts. And while the prices might suggest otherwise, there’s more to this collection than bragging rights and exceptionally deep pockets.’

Two distilleries, eight very different whiskies

To understand what makes the ARTIST Nikka Whisky collection interesting, it helps to look at the two distilleries behind it. Yoichi, established in 1934 on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, was the first distillery founded by Masataka Taketsuru, widely regarded as the father of Japanese whisky. Its coastal location, with cold temperatures and sea air, reminded him of Scotland. Even today, Yoichi maintains the increasingly uncommon practice of heating its pot stills directly with coal, producing a robust spirit known for its weight, smoke and maritime character. Miyagikyo, which followed in 1969, was deliberately conceived as its counterpart. Surrounded by greenery in Miyagi Prefecture, the distillery uses steam-heated stills and a slower, lower-temperature distillation process to produce a generally lighter, more floral and fruit-forward whisky.

For ARTIST Nikka Whisky, nearly 30 cask samples were evaluated through a blind tasting conducted with Hiromi Ozaki, Nikka’s then-chief blender. Eight eventually made the cut, each chosen to demonstrate a different side of the two distilleries. The Yoichi selection begins with a 10-year-old expression matured in a virgin American oak puncheon (S$580/approximately RM1853.35). Peaty and medicinal, with notes of smoked bacon, candied lemon and honey, it is perhaps the most straightforward introduction to the distillery’s house style. Things become more intriguing with the 20-year-old Yoichi (S$4,900/approximately RM15,657.60), matured in Japanese Mizunara oak. Its tasting profile combines dark chocolate and bitter orange with peat, citrus and charcoal, offering a different expression of Yoichi’s familiar intensity.

A 35-year-old Yoichi (S$10,300/approximately RM32,912.90), drawn from a sherry butt, takes things further with its exceptionally dark mahogany colour and powerful, tarry character.

Miyagikyo’s four expressions provide an equally interesting comparison. The youngest, aged for over 10 years (S$580/approximately RM1,853.35), displays the distillery’s more familiar elegance, with vanilla, pear, peach and fine spices. A 15-year-old expression matured in a port hogshead (S$1,280/approximately RM4,090.15) brings chocolate, gingerbread, candied fruits and warm spices into the equation. Perhaps the biggest departure from expectations is the 25-year-old Miyagikyo (S$4,050/approximately RM12,941.5). Matured in a sherry butt, its profile is distinctly peaty and medicinal, with charcoal, iodine, earthy notes and tropical fruit. 

The 40-year-old expressions are the real headline acts

Naturally, most of the attention will fall on the two whiskies distilled in 1986. The 40-year-old Yoichi is the rarest of the collection, with just 39 bottles produced worldwide and only three allocated to Singapore. Matured in a remade hogshead and bottled at 58.9% ABV, it brings together peat, iodine, smoke, fruit and medicinal notes. Its tasting profile moves from pomegranate, apricot and heather honey to seaweed, incense and warm spices, with a finish that returns to Yoichi’s unmistakable smoky character. At S$26,000 (approximately RM83,081.20), it is also comfortably the most expensive bottle in the collection.

Its Miyagikyo counterpart is hardly an everyday purchase either. Priced at S$13,600 (approximately RM43,457.80), the 40-year-old single cask was matured in an American oak puncheon and bottled at 59.7% ABV, with 174 bottles produced. According to the tasting notes, it offers an altogether different experience, moving between cocoa, roasted coffee, pipe tobacco, tropical fruit and earthy mushroom notes. Beyond their respective flavour profiles, these releases are significant because neither distillery has previously released single-cask expressions of this age. That makes them more than just particularly expensive additions to the ARTIST range.

There’s a story behind the artwork, too

Since its introduction in 2011, LMDW’s ARTIST series has paired selected whisky casks with original artworks. Rather than treating the labels as an afterthought, the series gives the visual identity of each release almost as much attention as the liquid itself. For this edition, LMDW turned to award-winning Japanese photographer Yoshiki Hase, whose work explores the relationship between human intervention, nature and the passage of time.

In his DESSIN series, Hase creates temporary geometric installations in outdoor settings, photographing them using long exposures. The resulting images can look almost surreal: bright curtains suspended in forests, coloured shapes appearing unexpectedly against natural landscapes, and structures that seem to belong somewhere between sculpture and photography. For ARTIST Nikka Whisky, Hase created original installations at both distilleries, drawing inspiration from their surroundings and the way natural forces alter them over time.

The 40-year-old Yoichi, for instance, features Landscape with a Blue Orb on the Yoichi Coast, in which a vivid blue sphere appears against the cold, windswept coastline of Hokkaido. Its Miyagikyo counterpart, Landscape with a Green Orb over Nikkawa River, places a similarly striking green form against the distillery’s lush natural surroundings. In other artworks of the collection, blue and green curtains appear against historic distillery buildings, copper pot stills and woodland scenery.

Hase’s temporary installations change with their environment, while whisky develops according to conditions that even the most experienced distiller cannot entirely control. Both are concerned with what time does to things, although one is considerably more fleeting than the other. For collectors, it also makes the ARTIST Nikka Whisky collection something beyond a line-up of rare single malts. Each bottle carries a record of the place where its whisky was made, seen through the eyes of an artist rather than a distiller.

Where to find ARTIST Nikka Whisky in Singapore

The ARTIST Nikka Whisky collection will make its exclusive debut at Whisky Live Singapore 2026, held on 21 and 22 November at EHL Campus (Singapore).

VIP ticket holders can also sign up for a special ARTIST Nikka Whisky masterclass led by Emiko Kaji and LM&V Creations Director Philippe-Alexandre Bernatchez. Priced at an additional S$150 (approximately RM479.31), the session includes 5ml tastings of the 35-year-old Yoichi and both 40-year-old expressions, with a combined tasting value of S$400 (approximately RM1278.17).

Whisky Live Singapore 2026 takes place at EHL Campus (Singapore), 3 Lady Hill Road, on 21 and 22 November 2026. Tickets start at S$120+ (approximately RM383.45) for Connoisseur passes and S$220+ (approximately RM702.99) for VIP passes. Visit the official Whisky Live Singapore website for more information and tickets.