Founded in 1934 by Masataka Taketsuru, the father of Japanese whisky, Nikka Whisky is a world-renowned spirits brand created in Japan with 90 years of mastery in blending behind it. Celebrating its milestone 90th anniversary this year, Nikka Whisky continues its steadfast legacy of marrying tradition and innovation, as set forth by Taketsuru. Guided by his philosophies, variations of malt whiskies distilled at Nikka’s two distinct distilleries – Yoichi and Miyagikyo – and grain whiskies distilled in Coffey stills remain the core pillars of Nikka’s complexity and creativity.
Imported by San Francisco’s Hotaling & Co., Nikka offers a wide variety of expressions brought by its unique assets and skillful blending. In 2023, the brand debuted the latest expression in the “Nikka Discovery” series, an annual release that highlights a component of the whisky-making process Nikka has practiced since 1934, Nikka The Grain Whisky (SRP: $174.99). This year, Nikka Whisky celebrates its 90th Anniversary, and in honor of this momentous achievement, Nikka will release a limited-time offering expression in August 2024.
The core Nikka Whisky range includes:
Nikka Coffey Malt Whisky ($69.99 SRP) is a unique expression that was developed in 2013 as a result of Nikka’s continuous experiments to widen its variety and offer more excitement to aficionados. Made from 100% malted barley, whisky distilled in a Coffey still is matured in old casks to enhance its rich maltiness, complexity, and silky texture. This expression is not categorized as “malt whisky” but as “grain whisky” since it is not distilled in a pot still.
Nikka Coffey Grain Whisky ($64.99 SRP) is a signature grain whisky that was released in 2012. Predominantly made from corn, whisky distilled in a Coffey still is matured in old casks, such as refilled, remade, and re-charred casks originally made from American oak, to deliver the sweet and mellow flavors of Coffey distillates.
Nikka Days Whisky ($49.99 SRP) has a delicate balance achieved by the skillful blending of mellow grain whiskies and slightly peated malts. With impressive floral aromas, this expression offers an extremely silky mouthfeel and fruity flavors that rise and expand, leaving behind a delightful aftertaste.
Nikka Coffey Vodka ($34.99 SRP) is a vodka with flavor and texture. The secret behind this extremely smooth mouthfeel and delicate taste is the quality of Coffey distillates and the preciseness in blending. Corn and barley are separately distilled into various batches with slight difference in ABV and taste profile. These batches are carefully blended by experts and then refined with white birch charcoal. This vodka has zesty notes, rich sweetness and milky mouthfeel that perfectly captures the exquisite fullness brought by the Coffey stills.
Nikka Coffey Gin ($39.99 SRP) achieves a complexity through the perfect balance between 11 selected botanicals and the silky texture of Coffey distillates. The bright and zesty aroma originates from exotic Japanese citrus flavors and hints of apple, a fruit deeply related to the history of Nikka, followed by the pleasantly tangy flavors of green Japanese Sansho pepper for a finish.
Yoichi Single Malt 10-Year-Old ($175.00 SRP) highlights the distinctive characteristics of the Yoichi Distillery, Nikka Whisky’s first distillery built in 1934 on the coast of Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. Crafted using traditional methods that Nikka Whisky’s founder, Masataka Taketsuru, learned in Scotland, such as direct coal-fired distillation, this Yoichi age statement captures the authentic character of its historical location
Nikka Miyagikyo Single Malt ($89.99 SRP) is a no-age-statement version released in 2016 that showcases the elegant style of Miyagikyo malts, when all Nikka age-statements were discontinued. This bottling has estery aromas generated by carefully selected yeast strains along with distinctive Sherry cask influence.
Nikka Yoichi Single Malt ($89.99 SRP) is a no-age-statement released in 2016 that truly captures the authentic style of Yoichi malts, when all Nikka age-statements were discontinued. Vatting various malt whiskies together, this bottling expresses a delicate balance between peaty, smoky and fruity aromas.
: @MAGRINOPR