Nikka Coffey Malt

Nikka

Origin

Japan

Type

Coffey Malt Whisky

Barrel

Oak

Age

No Age Statement

Alcohol

45°

Value

60 points

About the product

The Coffey still was the first patented still capable of continuous distillation. It was patented by Aeneas Coffey in 1830. Masataka Taketsuru learned to work with such a still when he was an apprentice with James Calder of Bo'Ness Distillery in 1919. Convinced of the benefits of this method of production, he installed two such Coffey stills himself when he started Nikka. Nikka Coffey Grain and Coffey Malt were developed to further highlight the qualities of these stills.

Coffey Malt was launched in 2013, as a result of an ongoing search for new experiments and flavour profiles. It is a whisky based on 100% malted barley, but distilled in a Coffey Still. Therefore, it should also not be called a single malt. It matured in old casks to allow the flavours present to develop extra. It therefore has a unique flavour profile.

On the nose, influences of banana, pear, rice cake and vanilla predominate - clearly driven by the unique spirit. The mouth offers you a continuation and evolution: dried fruits, sultanas and corn make it a complex taste experience. Finally, the finish is sweet: caramel, cinnamon and popcorn give you a dessert feeling that lasts for a while.

About the brand

When Masataka Taketsuru was born in 1894 in Hiroshima, there was no such thing as whisky in Japan. He was born into a family of sake producers and was destined to make it big in that world. He went to Glasgow as a young student in 1918, first to study at Glasgow University and then to do various internships at Scottish distilleries. This included working at Longmorn, Bo'ness and Hazelburn, where he learned the ropes of malt distilling. Meanwhile, he also met Rita Cowan, whom he would marry in 1920. When he returned to Japan, he first joined Kotobukiya Ltd (which would later become Suntory) and helped build the Yamazaki distillery there. In 1934, he left the company to start his own distillery.

Dai Nippon Kaju Co. started in 1934 and Yoichi Distillery began production in 1936. At first, the focus was still on commercialising apple juice, but cloudy apple juice proved a step too far for the Japanese market and soon switched to distillates, first from apple juice and then also malt. The first Nikka Whisky appeared on the market in 1940. In 1969, Nikka built a second distillery, the Miyagikyo Distillery. Now the company could create different types of whisky, both peated and unpeated. Meanwhile, new Coffey stills had also been installed to produce grain whisky, giving them all the ingredients for both single malt whisky and blended whisky.

Miyagikyo distillery is where mainly non-tasted single malt whisky is made. You will also find the Coffey stills that distil grain alcohol used not only for house blends like Nikka From The Barrel and Days, but also for interesting products like the Coffey Malt, Coffey Gin and Coffey Vodka. The Coffey Malt is exceptional in that it is a whisky based on malted barley that did get created in a column still, which is very unique.