The Discovery Series

Since 2021, Nikka has been presenting exclusive editions dedicated to uncovering specific elements of its whiskies and their aromatic significance.

The inaugural edition delved into the impact of peat, the second showcased the role of yeasts, and the most recent edition champions grain whiskies, skillfully blending the expertise of four distilleries, including one that has been closed for the past 25 years.

As part of the "Nikka Discovery" series, this rare bottling offers an inside look at Nikka's expertise in crafting a wide variety of grain whiskies.

This remarkable whisky gives us a glimpse into the past history of Nikka with barley, corn, and rye whisky expressions in this blend dating from 1988 to 2010. Produced with the Aeneas Coffey column still in four Nikka distilleries, Miyagikyo, Moji, Satsuma Tsukasa and Nishinomiya (closed).

In the 2022 Edition Discovery Series, these whiskies display distinctive aromas emanating from the "cultured yeast collection," giving freshness and beautiful fruit aromas of yellow fruits, peaches and apricots.

The Yoichi expression has bold, structured flavours that flow over the palate with silkiness and balance, as the fruit weighs in pushing its way through the Yoichi smoky and peaty character.

The Miyagikyo expression has elegance and fruity flavours that dance on the palate as the yellow fruits dominate on initial contact and move into secondary and tertiary flavours, supported by malt, cereal flavours and dried papaya.

The 2021 Limited Edition Discovery Series of the Yoichi and Miyagikyo single malts was released as the first in the “Nikka Discovery” series, highlighting Nikka’s various experiments in the whisky-making process.

With a focus on the diversity of ingredients within the distillery, the Yoichi expressions were made only from non-peated malts while the Miyagikyo expressions were made only from peated malts.

This offers a pleasant surprise that overturns the preconceived “peaty” image of Yoichi and “light and fruity” image of Miyagikyo.