Iodine

Nikka Whisky from the Barrel

Nikka Whisky was launched in 1940. Nikka is short for Nippon Kaju, slightly shortened from Dai Nippon Kaju or “The Great Japanese Juice Company”, the name of the corporation Masataka Taketsuru founded in 1934 after returning to Japan from Scotland and leaving Suntory after a decade to form his own business. This company sold apple products at first, while the whisky aged. Today, the brands produced under the Nikka umbrella come from the Miyagikyo and Yoichi distilleries primarily if they are made in Japan. The Nikka Whisky from the Barrel is made from a blend of 100 different batches of malt and grain whiskies to integrate the flavors and bottled at what is believed to be an ideal proofage.

By Adam | June 20, 2023 | Foreign | No Comments |

Ardbeg is a distillery that loves its marketing. This is not a slight against the distillery, just a fact of the marketplace. But Ardbeg likes to have fun with their one-off yearly committee releases. No two are alike and they are not afraid to embrace a story. Even if it involves flavor dragons and terrible puns. The Ardbeg Scorch is their 2021 committee release and the box is bedecked with artful flavor dragons breathing, presumably, flavor fire. The Scorch in the name derives from the heavy char Ardbeg gave to the barrels this scotch matured in for an undisclosed period of time. Whether you embrace the fanciful story or not, however, the flavor abides.

By Adam | March 5, 2023 | Islay | No Comments |

The usage of oats in whiskey production is extremely rare, and for good reason: it has a low yield and is thicker, making it more difficult to work with compared to other grains. Still, that has not kept the distillers at Corsair from experimenting with it. The Corsair Oatrage continues the distillery’s penchant for pun-themed names that highlight the grain (at least until their recent rebranding efforts). This single pot still whiskey is made from 51% malted oats, 27% 6-row malted barley, and 22% coffee malted barley. Coffee malt is a 2-row malt that has been moderately roasted, imparting an aroma and taste of coffee, and is often used in dark beers in the same way chocolate malts are.

By Adam | February 20, 2022 | Foreign | No Comments |