Nikka Coffey Malt Japanese Whisky

Nikka Coffey Malt Japanese Whisky is bottled at 90 proof (45% ABV) in a 750mL bottle — and you can order it online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA. Made entirely from 100% malted barley yet distilled in Nikka's traditional Coffey column stills at the Miyagikyo Distillery, it blurs the line between malt and grain whisky: malt character with a silky, creamy texture you will not find in pot-still single malts. It was named Japanese Whisky of the Year in 2018 by Jim Murray's Whisky Bible.

• ABV: 45% (90 proof)
• Size: 750mL
• Age: No age statement
• Origin: Miyagikyo Distillery, Japan
• Production: 100% malted barley distilled in Coffey stills; matured in American oak casks

When Malt Meets the Coffey Still

Column stills are normally reserved for grain whisky — Nikka Whisky runs malted barley through them anyway, and the result is a whisky category of one. The continuous distillation of the 1960s-era Coffey stills delivers an oily, luxurious body and lets sweet, gourmand flavors take center stage: creme caramel, banana bread, vanilla bean, and milk chocolate. Matured in American oak casks that emphasize grain character over heavy wood influence, it stands apart from both conventional single malts and the Japanese whisky shelf around it.

Tasting Notes

The nose is inviting and sweet — butterscotch, ripe banana, baked apple, and vanilla with a touch of spice. The palate is rich and velvety: caramel, milk chocolate, toffee, and coconut over honeyed malt, with dried fruit and a gentle baking spice. The finish is long and smooth, fading on sweet oak, butterscotch, and a delicate nuttiness.

How to Enjoy

Drink it neat or with a few drops of water in a Glencairn glass to open the full malt-sweet spectrum. It makes a superb Rob Roy or a refined whisky highball with soda, and pairs beautifully with dark chocolate or creamy desserts like vanilla panna cotta.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Nikka Coffey Malt a single malt? Technically no — although it is made from 100% malted barley, it is distilled in a Coffey (column) still rather than pot stills, so it is classified as a single grain whisky with malt character.

What proof is Nikka Coffey Malt? It is bottled at 90 proof, or 45% ABV.

Why is it called "Coffey"? It is named for the Coffey still, the traditional continuous column still design invented by Aeneas Coffey in 1831 and imported to Japan from Scotland by Nikka in the 1960s.

Buy Nikka Coffey Malt Japanese Whisky online at Del Mesa Liquor — an award-winning, one-of-a-kind pour shipped to your door in San Diego, CA.