When our Whisky Ladies set out to explore grains, we just so happened to include one we had sampled before – the Nikka Coffey Grain.
Our earlier impression was of a sun soaked piña colada masquerading as a coconut fruity whisky.
So what did we think on our revisit? Juxtaposed next to other grain whiskies from Scotland and Japan?
Nikka Coffey Grain 45%
- Nose – Quite aromatic and herbal! Has character, toffee, brown sugar, coconut, some vanilla, sweet corn and a hint of sweet lemon, pear
- Palate – Sooooooo sweet, silky soft and gentle, loads of that toffee
- Finish – Sweeter note
One exclaimed “Well this is a fun whisky to meet!” Another shared it certainly is one to satisfy a sweet tooth – like a dessert dram!
For those who had tried it in our earlier session remarked that while there certainly was some coconut, it did not have that delightful almost over enthusiastic tropical piña colada quality.
When we considered the grains sampled so far – Haig, Chita and now this Nikka – there was little doubt the Nikka had the most character.
What do the folks over at Nikka have to say?
Coffey Grain is predominantly made from corn and distilled in a Coffey Still. The complex, sweet and mellow flavors of this expression will help you re-discover the beauty of a grain whisky.
The Coffey Still is the world’s first patented continuous still invented by Mr. Aeneas Coffey in 1830. Masataka Taketsuru valued the feature of this type of still, which retains the flavors of ingredients and also creates a distinctive texture. Coffey Grain and Coffey Malt are Nikka’s signature grain whiskies which show the beauty of our Coffey Stills.
And what would a bottle set you back? You can find it online in the UK for approx £55. We tasted it in September 2018 from an open bottle.
PS – Photo credit goes to our contributor Nikolina Berg.
What did the Whisky Ladies try in their Grain evening?
- Haig Club 40% – A single grain from Cameronbridge distillery in Fife, on the edge of Eastern Highlands and Lowlands
- Suntory Chita NAS 43% – A key element in Suntory’s popular Hibiki blend which brings together the Chita grain with Hakushu and Yamazaki
- Cambus Single Grain 24 year (1991/2015) Cask 55891 51.9% – From a Lowland discontinued distillery, part of Singatory’s Vintage edition, picked up from Whisky Live Singapore 2017
You can find more on a page dedicated just to Grains here.
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