On the Production Methods of Pot Still Whisky

Written a century ago, in the Scottish town once dubbed the 'whisky capital of the world', this report formed the cornerstone of the nascent Japanese whisky industry.

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In the winter of 1920, the 25 year-old Masataka Taketsuru, with his new wife Rita in tow, arrived in Campbeltown, a small town on the west coast of Scotland. With the help of Professor Wilson of the Royal Technical College in Glasgow, the young Japanese had been fortunate enough to secure an invitation to undergo practical training in pot still whisky manufacture at the Hazelburn Distillery, then the largest of the Campbeltown distilleries. Under the guidance of chief technician Peter Margach Innes, Taketsuru was able to delve into all aspects of whisky manufacture. Four months later, he had completed this report. Taketsuru would go on to establish his own company - Nikka Whisky. Today Nikka's whiskies are known the world over, and frequently win awards.