Nikka Coffey Grain Nishinomiya Distillery - Nishinomiya, Hyogo (Japan). Nikka bottling. WhiskyBase reference page

Tastes & Smells
Once poured, tasty smells begin emanating immediately: boiling fudge, Baileys, cream, custard (and crme anglaise), vanilla. Once in a bit further, you get an empty fudge bar wrapper and honeysuckle, whilst a tingliness invades your nostrils and continues on into the mouth - chili flakes on the tongue, and a sourness bites too, lemon and lime. Some more mellow spice crops up (cloves, 5-spice) and gunpowder brings back the kick. In smaller amounts, it tastes kind of herby, and fish cakes creep in with the vanilla from the nose and fizzy milk bottles sweets (if they were a thing). It tastes pretty young and is quite sting-y, but there's a creamy, even toffee, richness to temper that: half a humbug.

Any good?
This was a tasty grain whisky and an interesting release from Nikka, I'd definitely recommend giving it a try if you can. At the price, it's a good intro into the world of grain whiskies, and the world of Japanese whiskies is a pretty small one. A bit too spicy but a good vanilla custard thing going on, but it weakens from nose to mouth. See the SSWC review for more thoughts.

Reminiscent of...
Due to a slightly misplaced corn flavour amongst unusual bed fellows, it made me think of the misappropriation of corn rows (the hairstyle).

Tasted on: 31/05/13 Bought: 03/04/13 Bought from: WE Control: Hedonism 6.9 3.6

A Japanese grain whisky is a rare thing indeed..

In summary:
Interesting and a good example of a grain whisky, especially one from Japan. Not brilliant, but a decent crowd-pleaser, but fades a bit from nose to mouth which makes it feel like it has more potential.