Description
Nikka From The Barrel 500ml is a blended whisky bottled at 51.4% ABV. Nikka describes it as a blend of over a hundred malt and grain whiskies, “primarily malt whiskies from Nikka’s two distilleries in Japan and signature Coffey grain whiskies.” After blending, the batches return to casks for a few months, a marriage that lets them settle together before bottling.
Buy Nikka From The Barrel Online in NZ
The strength rewards a slow start, so try it neat and then add water a few drops at a time. A large ice cube also works, and it stands up well in a stirred cocktail or next to dark chocolate or smoked duck.
- Blend of over a hundred malt and grain whiskies
- Bottled at 51.4% ABV
- Compact 500ml square bottle
Nikka’s notes give a rich oaky nose with vanilla, chocolate and orange peel, a thick, sweet and full-bodied palate with some oak grip, and a woody, bitter aftertaste.
Whisky Advocate dates the blend’s creation to 1985, under blender Shigeo Sato. Despite the name, it is not a barrel proof whisky. The 51.4% strength, which equals 90 British proof, was chosen for flavour. The small bottle follows Nikka’s concept of “A Small Block”, meant to suggest a compressed, concentrated whisky.
A good bottle for those who want a blended whisky with real strength and body, sipped slowly.
