Chichibu London Edition 2022 Release Japanese Single Malt Whisky 70cl
Chichibu has gone from being a small distillery to being now the 3rd most popular brand of whisky worldwide in terms of Japanese origin.
We have to admit, a 3 year old Chichibu can wipe the floor with 99.9% of other whiskies out there. I even think a 2 year old matured Chichibu would also taste fantastic too. they are busy expanding their whisky production now to another site and it will not stop there. The reason people pay so much for them is due to the quality and taste. It really is just phenomenal stuff!
From its Mizunara wash backs and small stills with steep lyne arms to the fact that the mashman uses a wooden paddle to stir the mash, Chichibu is a hands-on distillery with quality as an intrinsic focus. With the ground now broken on a blending room, and an off-site cooperage, Ichiro Akuto's distillery - formed from the ashes of his grandfather's Hanyu distillery - is one of the finest producers in Japan. With the perfect climate of humid summers and cold winters, Chichibu is an ideal location for whisky production and has become a huge part of the Japanese whisky revolution.
Tasting Notes
Aromas of pear tart tatin with fresh vanilla, toasted coconut, mango and guava. The palate is full of tropical fruit and incense spice.
About Chichibu
Chichibu distillery in Saitama, Japan was opened in 2008, and was the country’s first new distillery since Suntory opened Hakushu back in 1973. Chichibu was the brainchild of Ichiro Akuto, grandson of the founder of the legendary Hanyu distillery. The Ichiro’s Malt brand appeared in 2005 and rose to fame through the bottling of the last casks from Hanyu, particularly the sought after ‘Card’ series. The first Chichibu releases appeared under it in 2011.
Chichibu is one of Japan’s smallest whisky distilleries, famous for their craft-scale production. With a small, young team, innovative methods and a following from around the world, Chichibu is seen by many as the future of Japanese whisky.
Chichibu was founded by the living legend Ichiro Akuto, a name made familiar to many by his award-winning Ichiro’s Malt Cards. While Chichibu is quite a young distillery, founded in 2004 and beginning production in 2008, Ichiro’s history with the spirit goes back much further. His family have been involved in Sake production since the 17th century, and his grandfather started whisky production at the Hanyu distillery in the 20th century. During the whisky loch and financial downturns of the 1980s and ‘90s, Hanyu was eventually forced to close, becoming one of Japan’s famous lost distilleries. Their casks, however, were still resting, and Akuto took ownership of these in 2004. These became the base for Ichiro’s Malt Cards, a highly collectable series of 58 bottles representing cards in a deck.
51.5% ABV
70cl
