Nikka From the Barrel is a bit like the whisky everyone has had on their bar at one point or another. The small square bottle, 51.4% ABV, simple, compact, no fuss... but it delivers an aromatic punch with elegance. In 2025, it turns 40, and for the occasion, the Japanese house is releasing not one, but two new editions. Because if you're going to celebrate, you might as well go all out!
Extra Marriage: The Whisky That Took Its Time
The first release is Nikka From the Barrel Extra Marriage. The idea? Take the already solid original recipe and give it a marriage twice as long to push complexity and harmony even further.
The announced result: more depth, refined balance, and better-defined aromatic contours. It's an assembly of over 100 selected whiskies, both malt and grain, with a marked Scottish influence.
Tasting notes:
• Rich nose, beeswax, candied fruits, spices
• Lively palate, medicinal and fruity
• Long and slightly waxy finish
In short, a Nikka From the Barrel... but with a custom suit and a Japanese tailor who spent 40 hours on every stitch.
Announced price: 55 € incl. tax, available at the end of September from wine merchants and specialized shops.
The Three-Bottle Set That Will Delight Collectors
Second novelty: a limited edition box set reuniting three expressions bottled in the mythical square bottle. It contains: • Extra Marriage • Malt Pieces of the Barrel • Grain Pieces of the Barrel
The idea is brilliant: understand each component of the blend separately, then appreciate the whole. A bit like listening to each instrument before hearing the complete piece again.
Price? 290 € including tax. It stings a bit, but we already know it will disappear from the shelves in a flash.
Nikka could have settled for a golden anniversary box set like duty-free perfume. But no: they return to the philosophy of the founder Masataka Taketsuru, with rigor, precision, and that artisanal touch that made Nikka From the Barrel never just a 'good value for money', but a truly characteristic whisky.
The box set is aimed at enthusiasts... but we have to say: all the better. It's not every day you turn 40!
