Bottle 06: Nikka Coffey Grain
Nikka Coffey Grain
Distillery: Nikka Whisky Distillery
Region/Country: Osaka, Japan
Age: No age statement (NAS)
ABV: 45%
Cask type(s): “old casks such as re-filled, remade and re-charred casks originally made from American oak”
Grain Bill: 95% corn and 5% malted barley
Tasting Notes
- Nose: Sweet spice, mango and papaya aromas, candied orange peel and coconut.
- Palate: Toffee popcorn, with more of that heady citrus and tropical fruit.
- Finish: Fleeting; rich oak and marmalade notes dominate.
Japanese Whisky
Japanese whiskies are a relative newcomer to the game, but have been in serious production since the late 1800s. Japanese distillers traveled to Scotland it learn more about the distilling process, and slowly began making the techniques and the style their own. They also can be hard to find, which means that we don’t see a large selection of whisky expressions from Japan here in the US. The Japanese are serious about craft, and their whiskies tend to be excellent balance and unique flavors. Japanese whiskey is known for its delicate flavors, featuring floral, fruity, and umami notes. Peat smoked expressions exist, but they’re often more gentle and subtle than in a Scottish Islay. Of course, Japan also has different varieties of woods that they have available for aging, such as cedar, cherry, or Mizunara oak. There’s also a wide range of climates on the island of Japan that create different conditions for aging— both humid, tropical regions, and cold mountainous ones.
Today’s whisky was a favorite from last year— Nikka puts out two whiskies under the “Coffey” name, named after the continuous column still that the father of Japanese whisky, Masataka Taketsuru, first brought back from Scotland. One is the Coffey Malt whisky, which is made entirely from malted barley but distilled on the column still, disqualifying it from the “malt whisky” category. The other is what we have before us now: the Coffey Grain whisky, which is made predominantly from corn and aged in old refilled, remade, and recharred American oak casks. This makes it sound similar to an American bourbon, but you’ll likely find a much different whisky than a bourbon in your glass.
Advent Reflection
Hope, by Suleiman Mansour
In the art world, he is familiarly called Sliman. Younger Palestinian painters revere him. For more than 40 years, working in occupied lands, Suleiman Mansour has taught, led, and engaged in creative work that brings together art forms, cultural legacy, and a record of a land and a people. A Palestinian Christian, he embeds in his work recurring themes and designs drawn from Islam. As the magazine emel puts it, “Islam is not only part of his culture but also his identity.”
During the First Intifada, when Palestinians were cut off from basic supplies, Mansour helped lead an artists’ movement using the materials of the land itself. Some of his best-known works are from this time and incorporate mud. Whether an image of Palestinians marching with paintbrushes and pens and flags or the symbol of a dove above a land, Mansour colors each image with hope—for peace, for restoration.
“Listen,” he says, “we must—you must—honor these people, you must find justice pulling at your heart, you must work for peace.” Asked about the intention behind his art, he responds, “Art is our situation. When you don’t have a homeland . . . and when people deny your existence. So art is a form of saying we are here. We have long roots here. [Art] gives home to the homeless.”