Nikka Coffey Gin

TASTING NOTES FROM THE CURATOR

Lauded as one of the most unique gins you will ever taste, the Nikka Coffey Gin won Gold in the Contemporary Gin category at the World Gin Awards in 2019. This gin has a distinctly citrusy aroma, which comes from the yuzu, kabosu, amanatsu, and hirami lemon.

Distilled in Coffey stills, this Nikka Whisky offering is tart but not overly so. Its taste is bold and zesty, and is given a complexity by its Japanese citruses, and sansho peppers.

PREPARATION AND PAIRINGS

This unique gin is best enjoyed neat. Its taste is so special that you really want to savor every flavor on its own.

Although, if you love making cocktails, you’ll find that using Nikka Coffey Gin in your Singapore Sling, or your Negroni works very well. Though the Nikka can be strong and intense, in these cocktails, it only serves to elevate, not overpower.

Pair with smoked salmon, or apple slices.

A HARDWON BEGINNING

Masataka Taketsuru was born into a sake brewing family in Hiroshima. In 1918, he headed off to Scotland to realize his dream of learning the secrets to whisky making from the Scots themselves. He enrolled in the University of Glasgow, and apprenticed in various Scottish distilleries before returning to Japan in 1920. After a few setbacks, he was hired by Kotobukiya Limited (Suntory) to direct the building of the Yamazaki Distillery. He devoted that time to learning to make the first genuine Japanese whisky.

When his 10-year contract ended, he became independent and built his first distillery in Yoichi, Hokkaido, where the environmental conditions were similar to Scotland. While perfecting his whisky, the company sold apple products under the name “Dai Nippon Kaju.”

In 1940, the first whisky was launched under NIKKA WHISKY. Masataka Taketsuru is hailed as the Father of Japanese Whisky, and the notebooks he wrote in when he was in Scotland became Japan’s first guide to whisky production.

Storage Instructions

Store your bottle of gin upright in a cool, dark place, ideally between 13 and 16°C. Higher temperatures will affect its flavor and alter its taste. If you prefer to drink your gin cold all the time, you may keep it in the freezer, as its ABV percentage prevents it from freezing. Unopened bottles can last for an indefinite amount of time, but the closer you get to the bottom third of the bottle, please consume quickly to prevent oxidation and taste alteration.