Behind The Bar- Brass Monkey Vs. Nikka Coffey Grain Whiskey

Nikka Coffey Grain Japanese Whiskey

Coffey refers to the type of column still used to produce this type of grain whiskey, not that it is flavored or infused with coffee.    Perfect Nikka Manhattan (from website):

• 2 oz. Nikka Coffey Grain Whiskey
• .5 oz. Sweet Vermouth
• .5 oz. Dry Vermouth 
• 2 dashes Angostora Bitters

History Masataka and Rita: 

• Masataka Taketsuru (1894-1979), the founder of the first Japanese whiskey industry, born to a family of sake brewers, would eventually study fermentology and traveled to Scotland to learn whiskey distillation. There he met his wife, Jesse Roberta Cowen (aka Rita). Brought back Coffey still distillation to Japan, helped develop distillation for Suntory, oversaw Yamazaki distillery construction, and would later start his own distillery in Hokkaido (for its similarities to Scotland) with the support of Rita, aka Yoichi distillery. Produced what would eventually the companies namesake whiskey Nikka (originally called“Dai Nippon Kaju”, meaning the “great Japanese juice company”)      

Aeneas Coffey: 

• Irish distiller and inventor of the Coffey column still (patented 1830), a new design to the traditional column still that allowed continuous distillation in 2 columns. Continuous distillation allows vapors to recirculate in the still at ascending levels and produces a clearer, lighter spirit with higher alcohol content. Steam from the bottom (stable temp), wash (mash) near the middle, rectifying plates the rest of the way up. Ireland dismissed Coffey’s still, in favor of the traditional pot still. But it became popular in Scottland. (Also, neat distillers note, pot still runs are determined by time, 1st heads, then hearts, last tails. Column still runs determined by height)