production
Coffey still
The two-column continuous still patented by Aeneas Coffey in 1830, ancestor of the modern grain-whisky still; the term now most often refers to the surviving Coffey stills Nikka uses in Japan.
Not a legal term
No whisky regulation in Scotland, Ireland, the United States, the EU or Japan defines this. It is a trade or marketing term, so it is only actionable if its use is actively misleading.
Worth knowing
Coffey was an Irish excise inspector, and the irony is durable: the still that made blended Scotch possible was patented by an Irishman whose own industry largely rejected it. A Coffey-distilled 100%-malted-barley whisky is 'Coffey Malt' in Japan, but the same spirit made at one Scottish distillery would be Single Grain Scotch.
Related terms
Last reviewed 2026-07-30 · All glossary terms