Nikka Coffey Malt Whiskey

Nikka Coffey Malt is a Japanese whisky made entirely from malted barley and distilled in Coffey stills at Nikka's Miyagikyo distillery. A Coffey still is a continuous column still, so the whisky can't be labeled single malt. That category requires pot stills, even though the mash bill is 100% malt. It bottles at 45% ABV, and it was released in Europe in 2014 and in the US in May 2016. The mix of malted barley and column distillation is the main reason to buy it. Pot-still malts usually come across heavier and oilier. Coffey-distilled spirit tends to be rounder and more fruit-forward, and it often shows a creamy, vanilla-leaning sweetness. Expect that from this bottle, but treat it as a style expectation rather than a measured profile. Start with a small pour at room temperature in a Glencairn. The tapered bowl gathers the aromatics, which suits a whisky whose appeal is in its fragrance more than its weight. At 45% it is strong enough to carry flavor without much heat. Try it neat first. Then add a few drops of room-temperature water and nose it again. Water usually opens the fruit and sweeter grain notes in a malt of this kind and softens the alcohol. A single large cube in a rocks glass is a reasonable way to sip it slowly, though ice mutes the delicate aromas, so keep the dilution light. In cocktails, the soft, grain-forward character suits drinks that don't want a lot of smoke or char. An Old Fashioned made with a sugar cube, two dashes of Angostura and an orange peel will let the malt show through, and it needs less sugar than it would with a bourbon. A Manhattan with sweet vermouth works well, and you can stir it with a dash of orange bitters in place of the usual aromatic bitters for a lighter profile. In a highball, pour about two ounces over plenty of ice and top with three to four ounces of cold soda water. Stir gently, then finish with a lemon or grapefruit peel. This is a common way to drink Japanese whisky, and a lightly textured malt holds up well to it. A Whiskey Sour also works, with fresh lemon juice and a moderate amount of syrup. For food, keep the dishes mild. Grilled white fish, tempura, yakitori with salt, or a soft cheese all complement the whisky without overpowering it.