Nikka meets Spiderman
The British designer Michael Young has just posted a sneak preview on his website of some new bottles he has been making for Nikka whisky.
Young has trotted the world (this seems to have come out of his Hong Kong studio) building up a reputation for finding original avenues for major brands. He has designed barware for Schweppes, polo shirts for LaCoste and bikes for Giant. Recent projects include a "techno-splendid sex toy in opiate free plastic" ... erm, anyway, let's get back to the whisky. That new bottle:
I like it a lot. It's a great break from the fuddy-duddy old Scotch bottle imitations that are the norm in the Japanese whisky world: a bit Spidermany and (dare I say it) just a hint of the Kakubin about it:
Michael Young Nikka (2007) vs. Kakubin (1937)
The Kakubin, for those who are not Japanese whisky dweebs like myself, is the iconic bottle of Nikka's bitter rivals Suntory [1,2]. I am slightly surprised that the Nikka executives appear to have given this new bottle the nod. Michael Young's website claims a launch is imminent. The hue of the bottle suggests that it might be used for the Nikka Black range of blended whiskies [1,2]. If so, it will be going head to head with Suntory's classic brand. Perhaps those flying shards symbolise Kakubin smashing?
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