Article first published by our partner, Japanese Whisky Dictionary. Visit them here. Find the original article here.

“Nikka Coffey Grain” is a deeply flavored grain whiskey made using the world’s rarest continuous cafe distiller. Compared to ordinary grain whiskey, the sweetness derived from the raw materials is more pronounced because of the café method.

The mellow aftertaste of Nikka’s blended whiskey can be said to be due to the subtle sweetness of this “café grain” .

If you dare to taste it straight, you will find a gorgeous aroma (honey, apple, esters) with almost no alcohol pungency despite the 45 degrees alcohol content. There are also nutty and woody notes from the back.

The taste alternates between sweet flavors of apples and honey and astringent flavors like chocolate.

It is characterized by a sweet aroma and smooth mouthfeel that is unique to the cafe style.

Our Take

In order to experience the sweetness of Nikka Cafe Grain, be sure to drink it straight for the first time.

The mellow aftertaste of Nikka’s blended whiskey can be attributed to the subtle sweetness of Cafe Grain. It is a whiskey that should not be wasted as a base for blended whiskey alone.

Due to the recent whiskey boom, it has become difficult to maintain a stable supply of whiskey and the raw materials needed to make it, so we had to suspend sales as soon as we ran out of stock in stores after the shipment in late February 2019. We hope you will try it.