Nikka Aromatic Yeast whisky experiments put Japanese traditions back on the map

There’s nothing sexy about yeast, but without it, whisky would be a bland experience, as the Nikka Aromatic Yeast series reveals 

There are only three ingredients in whisky – water, barley and yeast – so you’d imagine that whisky makers would have exhausted all avenues of experimentation to get the very best flavour compounds from each. But yeast doesn’t have the romantic appeal of fresh spring water or hand-turned barley, so it often takes a back seat in the marketing and experimentation profiles of the modern whisky world. The Nikka Aromatic Yeast series aims to change that. 

But yeast is a flavour powerhouse at the heart of the brewing and distilling industries. It’s a fascinating single-cell organism that can multiply rapidly and efficiently in the presence of oxygen. Once it has exhausted all the oxygen, it converts sugar to alcohol – in essence, fermentation. Without it, we wouldn’t have alcohol, and so yeast has the potential to be the most critical ingredient in a distiller’s arsenal. 

Japanese cuisine is a world leader at pulling flavour from ingredients that Europeans might shy away from today – fermented fungi, seaweed and offal are staple ingredients in the typical Japanese home. Consequently, seeing yeast as an opportunity to diversify flavour is an easy road to follow.

Nikka Discovery Series

When Nikka, one of Japan’s biggest whisky makers, created the Discovery Series, it was to shine a spotlight on their traditional approach to distillation. The first edition focused on peat, while the second – Nikka Aromatic Yeast – tackled the essential ingredient of yeast. The third and final part explored Japanese grain whisky production. As a series, it’s highly collectable. 

For their yeast experiments, they took whisky from their two leading distilleries, Yoichi (pictured above) and Miyagikyo, and used aromatic yeast to help shape a flavour-heavy pour from each.

Nikka has a collection of yeasts created or sourced to introduce different flavour compounds. Aromatic yeasts, in particular, are designed to bump the sweeter, more fruity ester notes and deliver these to the liquid during fermentation. 

Nikka Yoichi Aromatic Yeast 2022

Founded in 1934 by master whisky maker Masataka Taketsuru, Yoichi is a distillery that continues to do everything by the book.

Using low-temperature fermentation, coal-fire pot stills and a humid and cold-climate maturation period, Yoichi Distillery on the island of Hokkaido is at the heart of whisky making in Japan. Experimentation with yeast sits comfortably within its operation and allows its staff to play with flavour compounds. 

This complex single malt from Yoichi Distillery is a non-age statement bottle, released at 48%, that spotlights aromatic yeast. This expression aimed to capture the ester-laden aroma of Ginjyo sake. Sake is a floral and fruity drink that translates beautifully to whisky – particularly when peat is added. 

The aromatic yeast brought lots of sake fruit and floral attributes to the nose, while the traditionally salty and earthy palate was refined by adding herbaceous and fruity esters. This carries over to the finish, which is wonderfully long and smooth, with lots more dark fruit layers pushing through.

Nikka Miyagikyo Aromatic Yeast 2022

Masataka Taketsuru was also the founder of Miyagikyo Distillery, an operation he launched in 1969. Designed to contrast Yoichi, it uses much larger pot stills heated by steam at a lower temperature than Yoichi’s coal-fired burners. This creates a slower distillation, which makes the perfect conditions for the yeast attributes to maintain and fuel the flavour with lots of fruity esters. 

Peach and apricot dominate the flavour profile of this expression, allowing its slightly lower 47% ABV to carry its complex layers. The aroma is more summery than the Yoichi variant, with strawberries, marshmallows, and toasted sugar notes. Floral attributes guide the nose towards its deep palate.

The Nikka Aromatic Yeast Miyagikyo release offers a richer, deeper pour, with jam, honey, and baking spices wrapped into the taste. Cereal notes emerge with layers of butter and apple, too. This whisky deserves your time to enjoy it, right through to its woody and blackberry-laden finish.

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