Renowned Japanese whisky distillery Nikka is celebrating its 90th anniversary with the release of The Nikka Nine Decades. In a recent masterclass at OBE, Club Bâtard’s whisky bar, led by Ms. Emiko Kaji, Nikka Whisky’s education and global PR leader, we had the opportunity to taste the exquisite liquid alongside whisky aficionados and collectors in Hong Kong.
Click on the video below to watch the highlights from the masterclass:
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Nikka Nine Decades is an exceptional blend featuring malt and grain whiskies sourced from six distilleries, spanning nine decades from the 1940s to the 2020s. Bottled at 48% ABV, Nikka Nine Decades presents a complex blend comprised of over 50 distinctive batches of rare single malts from the Yoichi, Nishinomiya, Miyagikyo, Moji, and Satsuma Tsukasa distilleries, as well as whisky from the Ben Nevis distillery in Scotland, which has been part of Nikka Whisky Distillery since 1989. The inclusion of whisky from Ben Nevis enriches the blend, creating a masterpiece that captures the full depth and heritage of the Nikka brand.
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The bottle showcases the signature silhouette that follows the previous 80th anniversary limited release, The Nikka 40 YO, which is inspired by the kimono. It is crafted with a unique handmade design using “Edo-bori” carving, a traditional glass carving method that originated in Tokyo. Nine Decades includes new elements for the 90th anniversary, such as a cap sticker adorned with overlapping square shapes and a colorful checkered background representing the distilleries. The bottles come in a special box featuring the names and signatures of past and current master blenders, along with a book that tells the story of the Nine Decades, featuring the history and heritage behind this anniversary release.
During the masterclass, Ms. Emiko Kaji guided us through decades of Nikka Distillery’s history while leading the tasting. She featured special selections from the distillery’s oldest reserves, including a sub-blend of Yoichi Malt 34 YO, which is a cloudy, oaky liquid with notes of peat and honeyed raisins; Miyagikyo Malt 31 YO from 1968, a rare batch produced before the distillery officially opened in 1969, known for its elegant taste, aromatic yeast, and fruitiness; as well as Ben Nevis Malt 34 YO, with notes of saline and peat smoke. The tasting culminated in the final sip of the exquisite Nine Decades, which offers a balanced expression of richness and complexity, featuring baking notes such as cinnamon, roasted nuts, and rich dark chocolate, with hints of apple pie, raisins, toasty oak, and gentle smokiness, culminating in a long finish.
With only 4,000 units available worldwide, 2000 bottles are available in Japan, and 2000 are abroad, with just 36 remarkable bottles currently offered in Hong Kong for HK$22,500 SRP.
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