Nikka "From the Barrel" calls itself a vatted whisky. They use the term meaning it is a blend or "marriage" of different malt and grain whisky, in this case the Japanese Miyagikyo and Yoichi distilleries. In other words, it's a blended whisky. The expression is bottled at cask strength (hence "from the barrel") and comes in at a relatively high proof, though anyone familiar with barrel-strength bourbon and cask-strength scotch will be comfortable with the proof.

Nikka whisky is made in Japan and founded officially in 1952, though its heritage reaches back to Masataka Taketsuru who trained in Glasgow and first began producing whisky in 1924 (it is said on the inspiration of his wife Rita Cowan). Nikka whisky is made from both the Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries (on Hokkaido and Honshu respectively). Yoichi is made in Japan modeled after the traditional Scottish distillery made in pot stills fired by coal. The Miyakikyo uses more modern technology with steam driven Coffey (continuous column) stills in order to achieve a level of precision.