Nikka Coffey Malt Whisky is an exceptional Japanese whisky, produced from 100 per cent malted barley, but which takes an unconventional approach to distillation. Instead of classic pot stills, Nikka uses traditional Coffey stills – continuous distillation stills based on the principle of the still patented by Aeneas Coffey in 1830. Nikka’s founder, Masataka Taketsuru, became familiar with this method of distillation as early as 1919 during his stay in Scotland. The first Coffey still was imported from Scotland to Japan in 1963, and the second in 1966. Although these historic stills are more labour-intensive and less efficient than modern continuous stills, Nikka values them for their ability to preserve the character of the raw materials and produce distillates with a particularly creamy texture.


Nikka Coffey Malt was developed in 2013 as part of the Japanese producer’s ongoing experimentation. After the whisky – produced from 100 per cent malted barley – has been distilled in Coffey stills, it is matured in older casks, which further enhances its malty character, complexity and silky texture. One notable feature concerns its classification: although only malted barley is used, this bottling is classified as a grain whisky rather than a malt whisky due to the distillation in Coffey stills. With an ABV of 45 per cent, the whisky is presented in a 0.7-litre bottle complete with a gift box. The unusual combination of pure barley malt, traditional Coffey still distillation and Japanese whisky-making techniques makes this bottling a unique speciality within Nikka’s range.