Nikka Celebrates 90 Years with a Truly Unique Whisky Release

Japan’s second-largest whisky company, Nikka, is marking a major milestone this year - its 90th anniversary. To commemorate this occasion, the company has announced the release of an extremely limited-edition blended whisky that includes liquid distilled over the past nine decades, including 80-year-old single malt that dates back to the 1940s.

Nikka’s Yoichi distillery in Hokkaido, Japan

I had the privilege of visiting Yoichi, one of Nikka’s two main distilleries, this spring. The scenic atmosphere of the 90-year-old distillery was enhanced by the snow piled on the ground from a recent storm. While much has been modernized over the course of nearly a century, some elements remain unchanged. The stills continue to be fired with coal, and the signature red pagodas still line the grounds. The restored house of founder Masataka Taketsuru and his Scottish wife Rita sits in the midst of the distillery, a testament to the couple’s dedication to whisky making.

Taketsuru founded Nikka in 1934 after studying in Scotland and working at several distilleries there. He brought his craft back to Japan to launch the whisky industry, starting with the construction of the Yamazaki distillery for Suntory. Nikka initially produced apple juice, cider, and other products under the name Dai Nippon Kaju, but the goal at Yoichi was always to make single malt and blended whisky. The first Nikka Whisky release arrived in 1940.

Fast forward 90 years, Nikka is renowned for its high-quality single malts from the Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries, which produce both peated and unpeated whiskies, as well as several different blends and world whiskies that contain juice imported from other countries.

 Nikka’s founder, Masataka Taketsuru

The new Nikka Nine Decades release is a world whisky that qualifies under the (still voluntary) guidelines laid out by the Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association three years ago. Nikka is transparent about this and lists information on its website about whether or not each expression meets those standards.

The liquid in this high-end world blend was distilled over the course of nearly a century, from the 1940s to the 2020s, at Nikka’s six distilleries (including Ben Nevis). There are more than 50 batches of whisky in the blend, including the oldest whiskies from Yoichi and Miyagikyo, new grain whiskies from Moji and Satsumasuka, and older grain whisky from Nishinomiya.

“This is an ultimate whisky that encompasses the passion, pioneer spirit, craftsmanship, delights and struggles within Nikka,” said Emiko Kaji, Nikka Whisky global marketing and sales general manager, in a statement. “We hope that this exquisite whisky will bring satisfactory moments to whisky lovers around the world.”

The Nikka Nine Decades is bottled at 48 percent ABV and is non-chill filtered. Only 4,000 bottles of this special release will be available worldwide, with an SRP of $3,000. However, whisky enthusiasts in the U.S. will have to wait until October to get their hands on one - the whisky launches in Japan on July 2, Nikka’s “foundation day,” but the rollout will be staggered globally over the next few months. Nikka will also host pop-ups in select cities over the coming months to promote this new whisky, with tasting flights, cocktails, and food pairings.

Nikka Nine Decades, a truly unique whisky release