Nikka Coffee Grain Whiskey

Nikka Coffey Grain is a Japanese grain whisky bottled at 40% ABV, and it differs from most grain whisky in being sold on its own. Grain whisky usually goes into blends as a lighter base for malt whisky. Nikka distills this one in a Coffey still, the older style of column still, instead of a modern continuous still. Coffey stills are generally understood to leave more of the grain's character in the spirit. The mash is mainly corn with some malted barley added. Expect a softer, rounder spirit than a pot-still malt, with the corn leading. Grain whiskies made this way tend to be sweet and gentle. Typical notes are vanilla, honey and soft fruit, with a creamy texture and little smoke or peat. Oak influence is usually moderate, and corn-based spirits often show a faint butterscotch or coconut sweetness. Treat these as typical of the style rather than a measured profile of this bottle. The low-tannin, low-spice character is the reason to taste it neat first, before it goes into anything else. For sipping, pour it neat into a Glencairn so the tapered bowl concentrates the lighter aromas, which can disappear in a wide tumbler. A few drops of room-temperature water will open the nose, and at 40% it needs little. One large cube in a rocks glass suits slower, cooler drinking, though chilling mutes the delicate sweetness, so add ice gradually. This isn't a smoke-and-spice whisky, so it suits an unhurried glass with something simple, like shortbread, mild cheese or fruit. In cocktails, the soft profile works best where you want the whisky to blend in instead of cutting through. A highball is the most natural fit: pour over plenty of ice, top with two to three parts cold soda, and finish with a lemon peel. An Old Fashioned made with a small measure of sugar or syrup and orange bitters comes out lighter and rounder than one made with rye or bourbon. It can also work in a Whiskey Sour with fresh lemon. In a Manhattan, expect the vermouth to dominate, so use a lighter hand with it.