An unusual Ichiro's Malt single cask: whiskey distilled in Kentucky in 2006, then finished for eight years at Chichibu in a refill puncheon that had previously held Chichibu malt. It was bottled in 2020 at 54.5% to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Milwaukee's Club, a long-running Japanese whisky bar. The label calls it American Style Whiskey rather than bourbon.
About This Whisky
The spirit began life at an undisclosed Kentucky distillery and spent its first six years in new charred oak, the standard for American whiskey. In 2012 it was moved into cask #1568, an ex-Chichibu refill puncheon, and rested at the distillery until 2020. That gives around 14 years in wood, much of it in Saitama's wide seasonal swings. The outturn was 520 numbered bottles, released at natural cask strength for the bar's anniversary. It is a rare example of Ichiro Akuto working with American spirit, and it sits apart from the distillery's own single malts.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Toffee, dark brown sugar and vanilla pod, with toasted oak, orange peel and a touch of dried cherry.
- Palate: Rich and rounded, with caramel, baking spice and roasted nuts, then drier oak and a malty depth from the Chichibu puncheon.
- Finish: Long, with cinnamon, polished wood and lingering burnt sugar.
Serving & Food
Room temperature suits it best, in a Glencairn or small tulip. Start neat, then try a splash of water, which brings out more caramel and less heat. Smoked brisket, pecan pie or aged cheddar with dried figs all work alongside.
How to Enjoy
Bourbon drinkers curious to see what a Japanese cask does to Kentucky spirit, and Chichibu followers after one of its odder releases.
Product Details
Producer: Ichiro's Malt (Venture Whisky), finished at Chichibu
Country: Distilled in USA (Kentucky), finished and bottled in Japan
Region: Saitama
Category: American style whiskey, single cask
Distilled: 2006
Bottled: 2020
Cask: New charred oak, then ex-Chichibu refill puncheon from 2012
Cask Number: #1568
Selection: Milwaukee's Club 30th Anniversary bottling
Bottles: 520
ABV: 54.5%
Volume: 700ml
About the Distillery
Ichiro Akuto is best known for single malt, so American spirit is an unusual thing to find under his name. His family ran the Hanyu distillery until it closed in 2000; he saved its last casks, founded Venture Whisky in 2004 and began distilling at Chichibu, in the hills of Saitama, in 2008. The site has its own cooperage and a warehouse full of casks that once held Chichibu malt, and one of those refill puncheons was used to finish this Kentucky whiskey. A second, larger distillery opened nearby in 2019.
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