Hophead Hop Vodka & Nikka Whisky

Anchor Distilling Company recently launched their own vodka, Hophead Hop Vodka. They also started importing Nikka Whisky from Japan.

I had a chance to taste both recently and I think they’re great additions to the Anchor portfolio. The Hophead smells amazing. If you like beer, you must smell and try it. Although technically it’s a vodka, it’s distilled from two types of dried hops which is a bit more like an eau de vie rather than a flavored vodka.

Nikka was founded by Masataka Taketsuru. The legend goes he stood next to a still in Scotland to figure out how tall stills should be. When he got back to Japan, he helped open a whisky distillery that later became part of Suntory. He eventually founded his own distillery in the 30s.

I am also a big fan of Japanese whiskies like Suntory’s Yamazaki and Hibiki. I would say the Nikka Takesuru 12 Year is closer to the Yamazaki than the lighter style Hibiki 12.

Tonight, Seven Grand is doing a special tasting of the Nikka. The tasting is limited to reservations. Join the Whiskey Society at Seven Grand for $120 a year which gets you into unlimited whiskey tastings (at least once a month but this month there were 3).

Anchor Distilling Company

Seven Grand

© The Minty // LA Cocktails 2012