Nikka launches Nine Decades to mark 90 years

Nikka Whisky has launched Nikka Nine Decades on the occasion of their 90th anniversary.

This unique blend consists of whiskies distilled over the past nine decades since the 1940s, comprising over 50 components from six Nikka-owned distilleries. Nikka carefully selected the oldest single malt stocks from Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries, along with whisky from Ben Nevis in Scotland, new grain from Moji and Satsuma Tsukasa, and aged grain whisky from Nishinomiya.

The bottle is packaged in a special display box that features the names and signatures of past and current master blenders. A booklet in Japanese and English is also provided that contains stories of each decade’s representative whisky included in the formula, along with historical milestones, challenges, struggles, and excitements of people involved.

The base design of the ‘The Nikka’ bottle follows the previous 80th anniversary limited release. However, new elements for the 90th anniversary are incorporated. On the lid are nine overlapping nine-square shapes expressing the perfect harmony of whiskies from the nine decades with a six-coloured checkered background representing the six distilleries. The handcrafted bottle comprises Edobori carving, a glass carving technique from Tokyo.

On the nose, it has rich apple pie and raisin sweetness with toasty barrel-aging notes, resulting in a gentle smokiness and the nostalgic scent of antique furniture. Complex and layered aromas give the impression of standing in the warehouse where the whisky has peacefully slumbered. Mellow oak with profound depth forms a base, structuring the spicy cinnamon, roasted nuts, and rich dark chocolate aromas. A subtle bitterness from the peat is balanced by sweet apricot jam and maple syrup, while an overall warmth gives the impression of sitting in front of a fireplace. Gentle peat is enveloped by the full body, with sweet and sour notes introducing a pleasant bitterness on a very long finish.

Bottled at 48% ABV and non-chill filtered, this limited edition release comprises 4,000 bottles. The 700ml bottle is priced at 300,000 yen (excluding tax).