Nikka Coffey Grain Whisky

For our second tasting, we will totally change universe with the discovery of a single grain : the Nikka Coffey Grain.

nikka-coffey-grainUsually used for blended whiskies, grain whiskies are rarely bottled as such. A few years ago Nikka decided to produce a non-aged single grain mainly composed of corn and distilled with two "Coffey stills" transferred in 1999 from Nishinomiya to Miyagikyo.

Invented in 1830 by a former Inspector General of Customs of Ireland, Aeneas Coffey, the "Coffey stills" are two-columns stills known as "patent still" or "continuous still" which can produce whisky faster in a more economical way. Today they are mainly used for the distillation of grain whiskies.

With the purchase in 1963 of its two Coffey stills, Nikka can now offer in addition to its single grain a whisky with an atypical profile: the Nikka Coffey Malt, a malt whisky distilled in column stills.

Let's go back to our Nikka Coffey Grain, stating that all grain whiskies and "Coffey Malt" produced by Nikka before 1999 were distilled Nishinomiya. Since the transfer of stills, all Coffey whiskies including ours, were distilled in Miyagikyo.

A great discovery in perspective !

Let's open the bottle and move on to the tasting !

Review by Nicolas

Color
The color is a clear yellow, with discrete golden highlights.
Nose
First of all I am very surprised by the fresh aromas, you can smell a very different bouquet from those that can be found in Japanese malt whiskies. Actually these are flavors closer to those of the Bourbons.
You can feel the aroma of corn syrup, with some slightly minty fresh notes, followed by melon notes.
Palate
On the palate we find at the beginning syrupy corn aromas, typical of bourbons, with a background of melon, still slightly minty, and subsequently aromas of mushrooms, chlorophyll and undergrowth "rainy". Regarding the texture, I regret the lack of roundness of this single grain. It lacks a bit of "body", its structure is rather "light".
Finish
A long and pleasant finish with remaining notes of corn and mushrooms, but I found it a little bit linear.
Opinion
The Nikka Coffey Grain whisky is very different from malt whiskies. I still really like this single grain distilled in Miyagikyo, which shows that in terms of grain whisky distillation, Japanese don't have to blush.
Very good quality / price ratio that allows you to vary your pleasures in your Japanese whisky tasting.

Published by Nicolas

The Wednesday 27 March 2013 at 12h04

1 Comment

  1. Stephen

    This just popped up at my local Yamaya and I was wondering about the tasting notes. Thanks for that review.

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