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New Japanese KitKat has been aged in whisky barrels from Islay, Scotland

Oona McGee Dec 4, 2020
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Blending the best of two worlds together for an unforgettable limited-edition KitKat.

In the land of unusual KitKats, it takes something really special to catch our eye, and Nestlé Japan has done just that with their brand new release, which has been aged in whisky barrels for 180 days.

Called Whisky Barrel Aged, the new chocolate comes to us from the high-end KitKat Chocolatory boutique, with supervision by the Willy Wonka of KitKats, renowned Japanese patissier Yasumasa Takagi.

▼ Takagi has been creating the crème de la crème of KitKats for Nestlé since 2003, overseeing exclusive releases like Ruby and Volcanic Chocolate.

The products sold at KitKat Chocolatery boutiques are known for being more upmarket and luxurious than their supermarket cousins, and this new KitKat promises to deliver an exquisite balance of flavours that will send whisky lovers into a tizzy.

The KitKat has been made with cacao nibs aged for 180 days in barrels once used for ageing whisky, and manually rotated once a week to ensure all the cacao nibs inside come into contact with the barrel.

▼ Rotating the barrels helps to gradually and evenly shift the aroma and taste of whisky throughout the nibs.

▼ The barrels used were from Islay, an island off the west coast of Scotland that’s considered sacred ground for whisky.

The Islay barrels impart a wonderful and unique smoky peatness to the cacao, which come from Ghana and have a mellow taste that makes them ideal for blending with more complex flavours.

This combination creates a bitter chocolate that’s perfect for “adults who can enjoy the delicate aroma and taste of whisky“. The chocolate is said to display an excellent depth and richness, with a long and satisfying finish unlike any other on the market.

The new chocolate comes packaged in a box that’s designed to “express the gradual transition of amber whisky to cacao, giving a feeling of relaxation.”

Nestlé Japan says this is the first KitKat Chocolatory product produced overseas, with its country of origin labelled as the United Kingdom. It also uses rare cacao nibs, so it will be sold only in winter, with this year’s batch becoming available from 15 December at the seven Chocolatory boutiques across Japan.

Priced at 300 yen (US$2.88) each, plus tax, these will make a lovely gift for yourself or the whisky lover in your life. Personally, we can’t wait to pair them with this unusual Japanese red wine, which was aged in Mizunara oak barrels and made with grapes grown at the only train station platform vineyard in the country.

Source, images: Press Release
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