While many in the wine and spirits industry have known the secret joys of Japan’s beautiful and rare whiskies, it’s only been the last few years that they have moved from their secretive niche and into the general consciousness. See this piece from Bloomberg as the most recent example. And why not? Japan has been producing malts for over 90 years, slowly and quietly gaining acolytes outside their native land and proving that they are truly worthy of standing next to their Scottish progenitors. 

While not produced with coffee (note the -ey ending), the Nikka Coffey Grain is made mostly of corn, which is considered a grain when late harvested as hard kernels, and a small portion of malted barley. Nikka uses the titular Coffey still, which was a forerunner to today’s continuous column stills. This particular Coffey still was bought and imported from Scotland to Japan in 1963 to produce grain-based spirits for blending, and it is known to produce a lighter, softer, sweeter spirit. The distillate is then aged for an undisclosed amount of time, most likely between 6-12 years, and then usually blended with other aged malts to add buoyancy, brightness, and sweetness, or, in the case of the Coffey Grain, they are blended together to make something wholly new. These production techniques create a spirit that is unlike any other on the market today; one that is undeniably familiar yet uniquely singular in the world of whiskey.

Boasting a gentle corn sweetness, the whisky's notes of vanilla, coconut and cinnamon will be familiar to fans of corn-dominated bourbons. The Coffey Grain is a pale straw yellow color in the glass, and features an impressive tropical fruit and honey wine undercurrent more in line with its Scottish counterparts but without the malty cereal grain backbone or the peaty spice the former is often known for. The Coffey Grain is a whisky that appeals to both the scotch and bourbon drinker and straddles the between the two adroitly without loosing its own unique sense of identity. This makes it versatile as both a sipper or as a cocktail component, at home anywhere a bourbon, un-peated Scotch, or even Irish whiskey might be called for. It’s this versatility and broad appeal that makes the Nikka Coffey Grain one of our favorite everyday whiskies and a must-have for both whisky aficionados and those just entering into the ever-expanding world of whisk(e)y.