In the past, I have had the occasional Japanese whisky. However, this has never been very promising. This is about to change with the Nikka coffey malt whisky (not to be confused with the Nikka coffey grain whisky). An excellent choice if you have never tried the Japanese version of our favourite drink. A simple but elegantly styled packaging and a sturdy bottle awaits you. Formerly a single cask bottling, it is now part of Nikka's permanent line-up. Something that I personally find unfortunate is the presence of a twist-off cap instead of a cork cap.
Nose
You can almost say that you have a coffee liqueur in your glass when you first smell this whisky. It is a sweet mix of coffee, chocolate and even some cinnamon and cloves.
- Coffee
- Chocolate
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
Taste
The whisky is rich in flavour with cinnamon and cloves predominating. It is soft and drinks down very nicely with a lime and oak finish.
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
- Lemon
- Oak
VALUE est. – € 67.25
Verdict
The Nikka Coffee Malt is a fine, soft whisky that is easy to drink. This bottle from the Japanese distillery is very affordable. And for the novice whisky drinker, it is certainly a nice bottle to roll into the world of Japanese whisky. Although I personally prefer a cork cap instead of a twist-off cap. This Nikka Coffee Malt is a fine addition to the growing collection.
DISTILLERY
Nikka has two distilleries; the Yoichi and Miyagikyo distillery. Founded by Masataka Taketsur. The first Japanese to master the art of Scotch whisky. The Yoichi distillery is the first of the two built in 1934. Masataka Taketsur chose the location close to the sea and surrounded by mountains in a cold climate in order to get the closest possible resemblance to the Scottish highlands.