In celebration of the 90th anniversary of the company’s founding, Nikka Whisky has announced two new products that would be released one of which was Nikka Frontier. A blended whisky introduced by Nikka Whisky on October 1, 2024 it marks the company's first new brand release in four years. This expression prominently features heavily peated malt whisky from the Yoichi Distillery, constituting over 51% of its composition.
This blended whisky is one of Nikka's most popular selling expressions since it initially launched in 1962. Nikka Super Rare Old contains a high proportion of malt whisky distilled at Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries.
The Nikka Black Special Blended Whisky was first created in 1965 and is a uniquely crafted Japanese whisky distilled in special two-column Coffey stills. Dubbed the "Bearded Black" by many, this easily enjoyable whisky features the image of a hearty red-bearded man in a jaunty red cap on the label, and is cited by some as a takeaway dram. the nose opens with roasted nuts, a touch of spice, and sweet vanilla paired with a palate of more spice, bitters, crushed salt, and dark chocolate. Bold and lively, the Nikka Black Special Blended Whisky is a well-balanced quaff finished to 42% ABV and the perfect sipper for the newly initiated whisky drinker to the on-the-run, quick dram aficionado!
The Nikka 12 year old is the most accomplished expression of the art of blending. For the creation of this blend, the House's Chief Blender has used whiskies aged at least 12 years, which brings an astonishing complexity to the final blend. Its aromatic profile, closer to an aged single malt than a blend, is directly influenced by the composition of the blend which emphasizes single malts with a small proportion of grain whiskies such as corn.
The nose is rather fruity (citrus, orange, lemon) at first sight, but it is in fact more complex than it seems with the appearance of spicy notes of cinnamon and nutmeg but also greedy aromas of beeswax, honey, and malted barley.
On the palate, The Nikka 12 year old reveals itself like a symphony orchestra with the greedy notes of dark chocolate as first violin and malted barley as piano. Numerous fruity aromas of apple, mirabelle plum, greengage and pear play the role of string instruments, while the airy floral notes of lilac and lily of the valley play the role of wind instruments. And to give rhythm to the whole, honeyed notes complete the melody of flavors.
The aromatic symphony ends with a long and smooth finish offering a multitude of notes of coconut milk, red fruits, pineapple and clementine combined with tobacco and licorice aromas in retro olfaction.
The Nikka Tailored, a premium blend of the historical Japanese whisky maker, is a worthy ambassador of the Japanese knowhow and culture as well as Nikka’s expertise.
Blended with precision and delicacy, this whisky is a blend primarily of malted barley from Miyagikyo in Honshū and Yoichi in Hokkaidō, along with Coffey Still grain.
The result is a perfect symbol of balance, roundness and softness, so many adjectives that characterize Nikka.
Taketsuru Pure Malt is a range of blended malt whiskies named in honor of Masataka Taketsuru, the founder of Nikka and father of Japanese whisky. These whiskies highlight the complexity and preciseness of blending.
The Taketsuru Pure Malt Non-Aged Statement is one of Nikka’s signature products that showcases their way of blending and perfecting flavors. Gentle malt flavor, fruitiness and extremely well-balanced taste make it a perfect entry point into the world of Nikka.
One of two brand new limited edition releases from Nikka that were created to represent the unique character of each of their distilleries, the Miyagikyo Grande brings a light and gentle drinking experience that exhibits soft floral tones, citrus fruits, subtle spices, lashings of vanilla and aromas of freshly cut grass. It was created using a portion of the disitllery’s sherry cask matured liquid, as well as a smaller amount of virgin oak matured whisky. As a result, it’s a fine example of top quality Miyagikyo single malt whisky and is the perfect dram to be enjoyed in the summer sun this year. Nikka releases are few and far between at the moment and given this release is limited in numbers, it’s worth getting your hands on while you can.
Miyagikyo Single Malt shows the characteristics of Nikka’s second distillery built in 1969. The founder Masataka Taketsuru chose this site in the mountains of Sendai to contrast with his first distillery, Yoichi, which is located in the coastal area.
Miyagikyo Single Malt is described as soft and fruity. Using less peaty malt, this whisky is distilled in a pot still heated by indirect steam at a low temperature. Miyagikyo Single Malt has an elegant fruitiness and a distinctive aroma with a strong Sherry cask influence.
Yoichi Single Malt shows the characteristics of Nikka’s first distillery built in 1934. The founder Masataka Taketsuru chose Yoichi in Hokkaido because of the similar environmental conditions to Scotland, where he learned whisky making.
Yoichi Single Malt is described as bold and strong. Pleasant peaty notes and smokiness originating from the traditional direct coal-fired distillation as well as a briny hint delivered by the sea breeze during the aging process.
