Malt Dream Cask #211 is one of Chichibu's earliest casks: distilled in 2008, the distillery's first year, matured in a bourbon barrel and bottled in 2019 at 63.2% ABV. Only 177 bottles came from it.
About This Whisky
As a Malt Dream Cask, #211 belonged to a private owner rather than the distillery, and the bottles were released mainly to bars in Japan. Spirit from 2008 is Chichibu's first-year distillate, and this cask spent around ten and a half years in an ex-bourbon barrel before bottling at full strength. The bottles and boxes are individually numbered.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Citrus, orchard fruit, vanilla and fresh malt, with lively oak.
- Palate: Concentrated and energetic, with sweet malt, fruit and pepper at full strength.
- Finish: Long, spicy and warming, with lingering fruit and oak.
Serving & Food
At 63.2% ABV, dilution helps. Start with a small neat taste, then dilute towards 50% and let it sit. Pair with light dishes such as grilled ayu, salted edamame or a slice of castella cake.
How to Enjoy
Chichibu followers who want whisky from the distillery's very first year of production.
Product Details
Producer: Ichiro's Malt Chichibu
Country: Japan
Region: Saitama
Series: Malt Dream Cask
Distilled: 2008
Bottled: 2019
Age statement: 10 years
Cask: #211 (bourbon barrel)
Outturn: 177 bottles
ABV: 63.2%
Format: 700mL
About the Distillery
In its early years Chichibu kept going partly by selling casks to private buyers. Owners paid in advance and could bottle their cask for their own use or for sale once it was ready. Many of these became known as Malt Dream Casks.
The model worked, but it meant much of the distillery's best early spirit went to other people's labels. Chichibu only bottled a 10-year-old under its own name, The First Ten, in 2020.