Nikka Coffey Malt Comes To The U.S.

Irishman Aeneas Coffey perfected and patented the continuous-still design that often bears his name and changed distilling as a whole, not just whiskey. The two Coffey stills at Nikka Whisky Company’s Miyagikyo distillery in Sendai, Japan, were imported from Scotland in 1963, and are the instruments behind Nikka and U.S. importer Anchor Distilling Company newest entry into the Japanese whisky market in the U.S.: Nikka Coffey Malt Whisky, which launches nationwide this month, joining the lauded Coffey Grain Whisky, which arrived in the U.S. in 2013.

Distilled from 100% malted barley through a Coffey still, which is rarely done given the complexity and skill required, Nikka Coffey Malt Whisky boasts notes of cinnamon, clove, lemon and rich oak, making it ideal for sipping neat or as the base spirit in a cocktail. The Coffey stills contribute the unique depth and flavor of the distillate, not found in modern column stills of today.

“This latest release to the U.S. market is just another example of the skill and finesse the Nikka distilling team puts into every whisky they produce,” says Dennis Carr, president of Anchor Distilling Company. “We couldn’t be more excited to share this incredible malt whisky with the country’s most discerning bartenders and consumers.”