Whiskey development
Flavor development aligned with Masataka Taketsuru’s original vision
Masataka Taketsuru, the founder of The Nikka Whisky Distilling Co., Ltd., devised the first Black Nikka product in 1956 in a bid to create a brand leader for Japan’s Western-style liquor market. Asahi’s whiskey blenders continue to uphold Taketsuru’s vision by working on delivering authentic whiskey flavor at prices affordable to a broader range of consumers.
Delicate blends produce a wide range of flavors
The Black Nikka brand lineup offers a wide range of flavors designed to appeal to a broader range of consumers.
Asahi’s blenders use several single-malt whiskey varieties to create delicate blends that can sometimes take nearly 100 repetitions to perfect. Various techniques are used to achieve tastes aligned to each concept. For example, Black Nikka Clear is designed for drinkability. Its unpeated preparation creates a clean finish. Black Nikka Rich Blend is designed for a rich aroma and body through the use of fruit-scented sherry barrels. Black Nikka Deep Blend has a characteristic lingering, bitter aftertaste created by using new barrels that give the product a richer aroma.
Continually updating blend formulations to preserve flavor
A single-malt whiskey’s flavor will depend on its raw materials and distillation method, along with the type and storage location of the barrels used for aging. A whiskey’s flavor and aroma will also change in the barrel as it ages over the years, so blenders evaluate thousands of single-malt whiskeys every year. For example, a five-year old single-malt whiskey used in a particular year will have become a six-year old whiskey by the following year, giving it a slightly different flavor and aroma. Asahi works to continually preserve the flavor of Black Nikka by understanding the ever-changing characteristics of single-malt whiskeys and updating blend formulations.