Nikka Coffey Vodka

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 40% | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Nikka Coffey Vodka puts the character of its grain distillates centre stage. Corn and malted barley are distilled separately in traditional Coffey column stills. The distillates are then blended, diluted with water and filtered through birch charcoal. This filtration is deliberately gentle to preserve the creamy, silky texture. The corn contributes sweetness.

This vodka has been part of Nikka's Coffey range since 2017. It combines citrus freshness and pronounced sweetness with a soft, milky mouthfeel. These are accompanied by general notes of grain and white flowers. Bottled at 40% alcohol, it is offered here in a 0.7-litre bottle with gift packaging. It can be enjoyed neat or in cocktails.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The nose opens softly and richly with cashews, liquorice, mint and raspberries. With air, freshly cut grass, almonds and lemon emerge. Coriander, coconut milk and lychee join the bouquet later.
• Palate: The palate opens brightly. Dates and almonds meet gentle spice notes of cinnamon and cardamom. A sweet malt note adds to the flavour.
• Finish: The finish is distinctly herbaceous and recalls very ripe pear. The soft sweetness of corn and a grainy impression of malted barley linger.

Distillery/Bottler:

Nikka's founder, Masataka Taketsuru, learned about making grain whisky in a Coffey still at James Calder in Bo'ness, Scotland, in 1919. He later had such stills brought to Japan: the first arrived in 1963 and the second in 1966. Their older design is more demanding to operate and less efficient than modern systems, but it preserves the flavours of the raw ingredients and produces a distinctively creamy texture. The name comes from Aeneas Coffey, whose continuous still was patented in 1830.

The Coffey stills have been at Nikka's Miyagikyo distillery since 1999. To develop Coffey Vodka, the company drew on its experience with these distillates and with blending different batches. An initial prototype was created in 2014, and the concept was further refined before its launch in 2017.

Facts: