Every bottle of Nikka traces back to one man. In 1918, a young Masataka Taketsuru left Japan for Scotland, enrolled at the University of Glasgow, and apprenticed at working Highland and Speyside distilleries — filling a notebook with the secrets of Scotch. He returned home, helped found Japan's first whisky distillery, and then struck out on his own to build Nikka. He is, quite simply, the father of Japanese whisky.
That heritage explains why Nikka feels different from other Japanese producers. Where Suntory pursues delicate harmony, Nikka leans Scottish — bolder, richer, more characterful. The range runs from an everyday blend you'll pour into a highball without a second thought, all the way to two distinctive single malts from distilleries on opposite ends of Japan.
This guide walks through the whole Nikka range available at The Liquid Collection, grouped the way it actually makes sense to drink it. Every bottle below is in stock, with current pricing and a direct link.
The Two Distilleries Behind Nikka
Understanding Nikka starts with understanding its two distilleries, which produce deliberately contrasting spirits. Yoichi, on the northern island of Hokkaido, is Taketsuru's first love — built on a cold, sea-battered coast he chose because it reminded him of Scotland. Its whisky is robust, peaty, and powerful, made using direct coal-fired distillation, a method almost extinct elsewhere in the world.
Miyagikyo, by contrast, sits inland near Sendai in a misty valley between two rivers. Taketsuru chose it for the opposite reason — to make a softer, more elegant, fruit-forward malt. Together, the two distilleries give Nikka's blenders an unusually wide palette: the muscle of Yoichi and the grace of Miyagikyo, plus grain whisky from the famous Coffey stills.
The bottles that made Nikka's reputation worldwide — accessible, characterful blends that punch far above their price. Start here.
Nikka From The Barrel
$96.00$76.00 SGDSave $20
Whisky Advocate's No.1 Whisky of the Year 2018, and still the smartest buy in all of Japanese whisky. A marriage of over 100 batches bottled at a punchy 51.4% — rich, spicy, layered, and built like a small armoured tank. If you buy one Nikka, buy this.
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Nikka Days
$79.00$75.00 SGD
Nikka's lightest, most approachable blend — built for easy drinking and the perfect everyday highball. Gentle, smooth, lightly smoky, with soft fruit and a clean finish. The bottle to keep on hand for warm Singapore evenings and casual pours.
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Nikka Super Rare Old
$96.00$83.00 SGDSave $13
A characterful old-style blend that flies under the radar — richer and more traditional than Nikka Days, with warm oak, dried fruit, and a satisfying depth. Outstanding value for a whisky with this much character on the palate.
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The Nikka Tailored
$143.00$138.00 SGD
Nikka's premium blend — a carefully "tailored" marriage of Yoichi and Miyagikyo malts with Coffey grain whisky. Fuller, more refined, and more complex than the everyday blends, with rich fruit, malt, and a long, layered finish. A serious step up.
Shop The Nikka TailoredIn 1963 Nikka imported a pair of antique Coffey continuous stills from Scotland — and instead of using them only for grain, started doing something no one else does. The results are some of the most distinctive whiskies in Japan.
Nikka Coffey Grain
$109.00$92.00 SGDSave $17
Distilled mostly from corn in Nikka's vintage Coffey stills, this grain whisky drinks like a much pricier bourbon — vanilla, banana, and creamy oak in abundance. Brilliant neat over a big cube, and a revelation in a highball. The easiest Coffey series bottle to love.
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Nikka Coffey Malt
$109.00$92.00 SGDSave $17
A malt whisky distilled in a Coffey still — which technically shouldn't be allowed by Scottish convention, and is exactly why it exists. The result is a malt with the silky body and texture of grain: vanilla-rich, with banana, coconut, and tropical fruit. Genuinely unlike anything else.
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Nikka The Grain 2023
$205.00$177.00 SGDSave $28
A limited annual release showcasing Nikka's grain whisky at its most refined — richer and more concentrated than the standard Coffey Grain, with deep vanilla, honey, and oak spice. A collector's bottle for those who've fallen for Nikka's grain character.
Shop The Grain 2023The crown jewels — single malts from Nikka's two distilleries. Yoichi brings power and peat; Miyagikyo brings elegance and fruit. Try them side by side to understand the full range of what Nikka can do.
Nikka Yoichi Single Malt
$125.00$110.00 SGDSave $15
From Taketsuru's beloved coastal distillery in Hokkaido, made using rare direct coal-fired distillation. Robust, peaty, and powerful, with smoke, brine, and dark fruit. This is the Scotland-inspired Nikka — bold and characterful, for drinkers who like their whisky with muscle.
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Nikka Miyagikyo Single Malt
$125.00$110.00 SGDSave $15
The graceful counterpart to Yoichi, from a misty valley near Sendai. Floral, fruit-forward, and elegant — pear, honey, soft sherry, and a lingering finish. This is what people mean when they call Japanese single malt "refined." A beautiful introduction to the style.
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Nikka Pure Malt Black
$127.00$106.00 SGDSave $21
A blended malt marrying Yoichi and Miyagikyo, leaning into the bolder, smokier, peatier side of Nikka's character. Rich, robust, and full of personality — the "Black" label signals its deeper, more intense profile. A characterful pour for peat lovers.
Shop Pure Malt BlackNikka's most historically meaningful pour — a blended malt named in honour of Masataka Taketsuru, marrying both distilleries into a single harmonious expression.
Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt
$138.00$108.00 SGDSave $30
A blended malt drawn from both Yoichi and Miyagikyo, named after the father of Japanese whisky himself. Bold yet refined, with sherry-cask warmth, dried fruit, gentle smoke, and a long finish. The single most meaningful bottle in the Nikka range — and, right now, exceptional value.
Shop TaketsuruWhich Nikka Should You Buy?
The range is broad, so here's a shortcut for the most common situations.
Your first ever bottle of Nikka?
Nikka From The Barrel at $76. There's no better introduction, and no better value in Japanese whisky full stop.
You want an everyday highball bottle?
Nikka Days for lightness, or Coffey Grain if you want more vanilla-rich character in the glass.
You want to try a proper single malt?
Decide by mood: Yoichi for bold and peaty, Miyagikyo for elegant and floral. Both are $110 — buy both and taste them side by side.
You want something genuinely unusual?
Nikka Coffey Malt — a malt whisky that breaks Scottish convention and tastes like nothing else. A brilliant conversation starter.
Buying a gift?
Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt carries the best story in the range, or step up to The Nikka Tailored for something more premium.
Getting the Most from Your Nikka
This is a higher-strength whisky, so it rewards a few drops of water to open it up. Try it neat first, then add water drop by drop until the aromatics bloom. It's also superb in a highball, where the strength holds up against soda far better than a 40% blend.
The best way to understand Nikka is to pour both single malts side by side. The contrast — Yoichi's coastal power versus Miyagikyo's floral grace — teaches you more about Japanese whisky in ten minutes than any book. Both sit at the same price, which makes the comparison easy.
Coffey Grain's vanilla-and-banana profile makes it a fantastic base for a whisky highball or even an Old Fashioned. Don't feel obliged to drink these neat — they were practically built for mixing, and they hold their character beautifully against ice and soda.
Several Nikka expressions — including From The Barrel and Pure Malt Black — come in 500ml bottles rather than the standard 700ml. That's normal for these releases, not a short measure. Factor it in when comparing prices against 700ml bottles from other producers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Nikka whisky to start with?
Nikka From The Barrel at $76 is the consensus best starting point — Whisky Advocate's Whisky of the Year 2018 and the best value-per-dollar bottle in the entire Japanese whisky category. For something lighter and more everyday, Nikka Days is a gentle, highball-friendly introduction.
What's the difference between Nikka Yoichi and Miyagikyo?
They're Nikka's two single malt distilleries, deliberately producing contrasting spirits. Yoichi (Hokkaido) is bold, peaty, and powerful, made with rare direct coal-fired distillation. Miyagikyo (near Sendai) is soft, floral, and fruit-forward. Yoichi is the muscle; Miyagikyo is the grace. Both are excellent — the choice comes down to whether you prefer bold or elegant.
Who was Masataka Taketsuru?
Masataka Taketsuru is considered the father of Japanese whisky. In 1918 he travelled to Scotland, studied chemistry at the University of Glasgow, and apprenticed at Scottish distilleries to learn whisky-making firsthand. He returned to Japan, helped establish the country's first whisky distillery, then founded Nikka in 1934 — building the Yoichi distillery in Hokkaido because its cold, coastal climate reminded him of Scotland. The Nikka Taketsuru range is named in his honour.
What is a Coffey still and why does Nikka use it?
A Coffey still (or column still) is a continuous still patented by Aeneas Coffey in 1830, typically used for grain whisky. Nikka imported a pair from Scotland in 1963. What makes Nikka unusual is using these stills not just for grain but for malt too — producing Nikka Coffey Malt, a malt whisky with the silky texture of grain whisky. The Coffey Grain and Coffey Malt are among Nikka's most distinctive bottlings.
Why are some Nikka bottles 500ml instead of 700ml?
Several Nikka expressions — notably From The Barrel and Pure Malt Black — are bottled at 500ml (50cl) rather than the standard 700ml (70cl). This is the official bottle size for these releases, not a reduced measure. It's worth noting when comparing prices: a 500ml bottle naturally costs less than a 700ml one of similar quality, so factor the volume in.
Is Nikka better than Suntory?
It's a matter of taste rather than quality — both are excellent. Broadly, Nikka leans toward the Scottish tradition Taketsuru brought home: bolder, richer, more robust, with Yoichi in particular embracing peat and power. Suntory (Yamazaki, Hakushu, Hibiki) tends toward delicate balance and harmony. Many enthusiasts keep both houses on their shelf. If you like characterful, full-flavoured whisky, Nikka is often the favourite.
Do you deliver Nikka whisky across Singapore?
Yes — The Liquid Collection offers free delivery on all Nikka whisky orders across Singapore with no minimum purchase, typically within 3 working days. For personal recommendations across the Nikka range, message us on WhatsApp at +65 9680 5856.
乾杯
From the Father of Japanese Whisky
One vision, two distilleries, a whole range to explore.
Every Nikka bottle in this guide is in stock with free Singapore delivery. No minimum order. Every bottle authenticated.
Shop the Nikka RangeLast updated May 2026 · Prices reflect current pricing and may change · Please drink responsibly · Must be 18+ to purchase
