Nikka is a Japanese brand producing whisky from two distilleries and a number of other facilities in the country. The Yoichi distillery and the Miyagikyo distillery both produce Japanese whiskies that are incredibly highly thought of – and the brand also owns the Ben Nevis distillery in Scotland, which they acquired in the late 1980s. Yoichi is the favoured distillery of many, producing a masculine, peaty malt that goes down a treat.
The pots in this distillery are still heated using natural coal – an age-old technique that was slowly phased out and isn’t even used in Scotland in 2016.