Chichibu 8 Year Old 2015 SMWS Single Refill Bourbon Barrel 130.9 Across Herbaceous Borders Japanese Single Malt Whisky (2024) 70cl

Chichibu 8 Year Old 2015 SMWS Single Refill Bourbon Barrel 130.9 Across Herbaceous Borders Japanese Single Malt Whisky (2024) 70cl

1 of 167 bottles produced from a single ex-Heaven Hill bourbon barrel

Chichibu is now the 3rd most popular whisky in Japan and has only been established since 2008. The cult following for the brand is immense worldwide. Known for its tropical style tasting whisky and its attention to producing whisky that after not many years for its age, impresses the most experienced of whisky drinkers. Releases are sold out within minutes, large queues form at the festival events & the brand seems to be immune to any market changes. 

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society was founded in Edinburgh in 1983 by Phillip 'Pip' Hills who, while travelling around Scotland in the 1970s, fell in love with whiskies drawn straight from the cask. After he expanded his syndicate the Society was purchased by Glenmorangie PLC in 2004. In 2015, the Society was sold back to private investors. In June 2021, the private owners floated the holding company The Artisanal Spirits Company plc on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange.

It has a unique code system where the first number refers to the distillery and the second refers to the cask from which the bottle comes. SMWS also offers the largest range of distilleries of any independent bottler. These curiously named drams really do have something for every whisky lover!

The SMWS are one of the Britain's most revered independent bottlers with a worldwide network of partner bars with one mission of getting as much whisky at natural cask strength without water to different nations including USA, Canada, Switzerland, UK, Austria, Germany and many others.

TASTING NOTES

Green pine wood crackled and hissed in harmony with sizzling bacon, mackerel fillets and whole lemons on a barbecue deep in the woods. Next in line for the flames were lamb chops, coated with cumin and mint. A gust of fragrant smoke was like inhaling mouthwash and muscle rub, directly into one's brain. A few drops of water cast our thoughts to the Western Isles of Scotland, with a reminiscent combination of beach barbecues and prawns grilled within a coating of sticky heather honey. Finally, tender cuts of lamb were added to the sizzle frenzy, lavishly adorned with rosemary, fennel seeds and marjoram.

About Chichibu

Chichibu Edition Paris 2021 boasts captivating aromatic depth. The nose reveals luscious notes of vanilla and ripe fruit, carried by the richness of the first-fill bourbon cask, mingled with subtle touches of peat, red fruit and spicy wood from the port and virgin oak casks. On the palate, the attack is powerful, revealing intense flavors of peated malt, dried fruit and sweet spices, balanced by a fruity sweetness and unctuous texture. The finish is long, elegant and lightly smoky.

This bottling comes from a unique blend of 8 carefully selected casks, 5 from 2013 and 3 from 2014. These include first-fill bourbon casks, port casks, virgin oak casks, a red wine cask and Chibidaru Quarter Cask casks. The complex, harmonious blend of these different casks gives this whisky exceptional richness. Chichibu Edition Paris 2021 is bottled at 53.5% vol. for a full, intense expression of its aromas.

Chichibu is a young distillery founded in 2008 by Ichiro Akuto, located in the heart of Japan's mountainous Saitama region. Renowned for its small batches of whisky produced with artisanal care, it has rapidly established itself as a benchmark in the world of Japanese whisky. Each limited edition, like this Chichibu Edition Paris 2021, embodies Ichiro Akuto's passion and innovation, as well as the diversity of aging methods used at Chichibu.

60.2% ABV

70cl