We sat down with Raphaël Cristini, Nikka‘s brand ambassador, to learn more about him and his love for whisky.
What have been some of the highlights of your professional career?
While I was studying in France and the Netherlands, I worked in bars and developed a keen interest in spirits. After completing my studies, I had the chance to represent Rémy-Cointreau’s niche brands in South Africa and the UAE.
The highlights comprise presenting global best-brand practices for Botanist Gin in South Africa at BCB in 2016. Furthermore, my current role involves representing Nikka across Europe, the Middle East and Lebanon.
What sets Nikka apart from other brands of whisky?
At Nikka, we produce a wide range of whisky styles. We achieve this by experimenting with various elements in whisky-making. Furthermore, we create thousands of spirits. Thus, this involves playing with yeast strains, fermentation times, and types of stills, among others. This approach helps blenders build a large database of spirits to create the perfect recipes for single malts and blends.
What are the latest trends shaping the whisky industry?
Transparency, sustainability and provenance of raw ingredients.
What news can you share with our readers?
We continuously lead experimental projects at Nikka. This year, we introduced Nikka the Grain Whisky, a blend of seven grain styles from four distilleries, including corn, rye and barley.
