Nikka Coffey Grain and Coffey Malt: Taketsuru's Other Souvenir From Scotland

Everyone knows Masataka Taketsuru went to Scotland in 1918 and came back with the notebooks that started Japanese whisky.

Less known is what he learned in 1919, at James Calder in Bo'ness: how to distil grain whisky in a Coffey still.

What a Coffey Still Is

Aeneas Coffey patented it in 1830. It was the world's first continuous still, and it changed the industry, instead of a pot still working one batch at a time, a Coffey still runs constantly.

The modern successor to it is the column still, which is more efficient and strips more character out. Coffey stills are less efficient and leave more behind, which is exactly why the handful of distilleries that still run them keep doing so.

Taketsuru valued that, and after founding Nikka he installed two sets. The first was imported from Scotland in 1963, the second in 1966. They now live at Miyagikyo, the distillery he opened in 1969 after Yoichi, and they're still working.

Coffey Grain

Released in 2012. Predominantly corn, distilled in the Coffey still and matured in old casks, re-filled, remade and re-charred American oak.

Old casks are the point. Fresh oak would dominate a grain whisky; tired casks let the distillate itself come through, which is what you want when the still is the story.

Sweet and mellow, with the soft, almost buttery quality good grain whisky has.

Coffey Malt

Developed in 2013, and this is the odd one.

It's 100% malted barley, but run through the Coffey still rather than a pot still. That combination is unusual enough that it can't legally be called a single malt in Scotland, since single malt requires pot distillation.

The result is rich maltiness with a silky texture and more complexity than the grain, kept in old casks for the same reason.

Taste Them Together

This is the flight to ask for. Same still, same warehouse, same house style, one made from corn, one from barley.

It isolates the variable perfectly. Whatever tastes the same in both glasses is the Coffey still; whatever differs is the grain.

Pair Them With

Coffey Grain with dessert, dorayaki, matcha mochi ice cream. It's sweet enough to sit there comfortably.

Coffey Malt with grilled and savory: yakitori, miso bacon, pork kakuni.

Try Them at Juraku

Both Nikka Coffey whiskies are on the whisky list at Izakaya Juraku, Lower East Side.