Nikka Coffey Grain Whisky 700ml
Japanese Grain Whisky - 45% ABV - No age statement (2012) - Predominantly corn, Coffey continuous stills | Miyagikyo Distillery, Sendai, Japan

Old Column, New Voice

At Miyagikyo, two vintage Coffey stills run not for nostalgia but for feel. Installed in the 1960s and famously hands on, they hold on to character that modern multi-columns tend to polish away. Coffey Grain takes a corn-led mash and gives it time in seasoned American oak so the distillate stays front and center, rounded by wood rather than wrapped in it.

This is grain whisky as texture study. The spirit is distilled slow, with careful cut points, then laid down in a mix of re-filled and re-charred casks to build softness without syrup. The aim is grace over gloss. Sweetness is present but never sticky; oak is present but never loud. What you taste is an easy glide, the kind that reads as craftsmanship more than cleverness.

In the glass, the nose gathers banana bread, vanilla cream, orange oils, and warm caramel over gentle cereal. The palate follows with honeyed corn, toffee, lemon tea, and a cocoa-dusted mid-palate. The texture is the tell here: supple, near-waxy, and remarkably even from first sip to last. The finish lingers on creme brulee crust, dried apricot, and a calm bittersweet nip.

Grain, Shaped By Patience

Coffey Grain is not a novelty; it is a point of view. By choosing an older tool and giving it time, Nikka bottles a style that feels both classic and modern, elegant and easy, quietly distinctive and widely welcoming.

Final Thought

Smooth without blandness, Coffey Grain proves that method matters. A soft-spoken crowd-pleaser that rewards a second pour.

Awards:

Category Winner, Japanese Grain - World Whiskies Awards (2022)

Silver - World Whiskies Awards (2024)

Gold Medal - International Spirits Challenge (2020)

Gold Medal - International Spirits Challenge (2015)

Gold Medal - World Whiskies Awards (2019)

Chairman's Trophy - Ultimate Spirits Challenge (2014)