Chichibu 2012 Mizunara Heads Cask # 1718 700mL

Chichibu 2012 Mizunara Heads Cask #1718 is a rare single-cask Japanese whisky from Chichibu Distillery, matured in a mizunara oak "heads" cask — meaning the cask was cut from the head section of the mizunara tree rather than the more common stave section, a small but distinctive choice in Japanese cooperage. Distilled in 2012 and bottled around 2017, it is a high-strength Chichibu release with limited public documentation.

From the Producer

Chichibu Distillery was founded in 2008 by Ichiro Akuto, the grandson of Toa Shuzo founder Isouji Akuto and the man who previously acquired and bottled the legendary Hanyu "Card Series" casks. Located in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, just outside Tokyo, Chichibu was the first new licensed malt distillery to open in Japan in decades and was deliberately built small — short fermentation, compact stills, slow distillation and a heavy reliance on cask variety — to produce whisky in a more European craft style. Mizunara oak is Japan's native Quercus mongolica, prized for the fragrant, sandalwood- and incense-like notes it imparts but notoriously difficult to cooper: it warps and leaks easily, which is why most Japanese distilleries use it sparingly or only as a finishing layer. The "heads" designation refers to casks cut from the cross-section ends of the tree, a niche cooperage choice that further narrows the number of casks in circulation. Cask #1718 is one of those small-batch Ichiro's Malt single-cask releases where public detail is relatively thin.

Tasting Profile

• Nose: Malt sweetness, sandalwood-like oak, citrus, spice and a subtle incense tone.
• Palate: Focused and concentrated, with orchard fruit, pepper, layered oak and a distinctive mizunara-led fragrance.
• Finish: Long and warming, with spice, dry wood and lingering malt richness.

Best For

Chichibu collectors, Japanese single-cask buyers and clients comfortable with lower-information rare releases.

Product Details