Drink of the Week: Nikka Whisky Taketsuru Pure Malt 12-Year

We’re feeling rather warm and fuzzy this holiday season, and we’re pretty sure today’s Drink of the Week—the Taketsuru 12-Year from Nikka Whisky—is partly to thank. Introduced on U.S. soil late last month, this spirit is already taking the drinks world by storm with its silky-smooth texture, flavors of caramelized apple and pear and hint of smoky vanilla on the finish. And even though this offering is new to the U.S., the company itself can trace its origins back centuries to a family-run 18^th-century saké brewery that evolved in the early 1900s when family member Masataka Taketsuru decided to shift the focus to Scotch-styled whisky. The professionally trained chemist headed to Scotland to learn the ins and outs of distillation and returned to Japan in 1920 to help launch Yamazaki for the Suntory distillery before branching out with his own label a decade later. The resulting spirits are among some of the finest produced in Japan, and luckyily, we can all now have a taste. $60, klwines.com