Nikka Whisky Releases From the Barrel Extra Marriage

The hype surrounding Japanese whiskey may have died down a bit, but some bottles are still really expensive and rare, especially those from Suntory. The second largest Japanese whiskey name, Nakaka, also has some highly collective expressions as well as some non-age statement combinations. The latter is best-in-barrel in the category, and this whiskey has just received an upgrade that makes it a sought-after bottle.

Barrel Extra Marry Nica is the name of this new whiskey, and it’s actually a stout that came out in 1985 and arrived in the U.S. in 2018. To celebrate the whiskey’s 40th anniversary, Nikka has decided to extend the time that the ingredients in the blend have been married together before bottling (hence, the name). From the Barrel is actually a world whiskey because it includes whiskeys that were not made in Japan, and therefore do not meet the (still entirely voluntary) guidelines that define Japanese whiskey. The majority of the ingredients, which number more than 100, are malt and grain whiskeys from Nikka’s two distilleries, Uchi and Miyagkyo. But there are also component whiskeys in Scotland in the mix, which makes sense given that Nicky owns the Ben Nevis distillery in that country.

The final blend from the barrel is put into used puncheon casks for a period of time to “marry”, which means the different ingredients are allowed to blend and become more harmonious. Other distilleries have also used this production step – for example, Devers, for its Double Double range. For additional marriage, the marriage time in Nikka’s Tochigi aging cellar is extended to three months, which “further harmonizes the combination of an even richer flavor and a longer finish.” It’s really impossible to say whether this whiskey is an improvement on the original without trying both expressions together, but this new expression is great on its own. It’s bottled at 51.4 percent ABV, like the original, and has notes of chocolate, oak, vanilla custard, dried fruit, spice, and orange peel on the palate.

Barrel Extra Wedding Nikka is now available at select retailers and websites like Total Wine (SRP $70) in smaller 500ml bottles with the same square design as the original from Barrel, but with a silver label painted on the bottle. You can also find real whiskeys available online if you want to compare side-by-side tastings.