A 2012 Chichibu single malt from ex-bourbon cask #1953, bottled in 2020 to mark 50 years of the Takashimaya department store in Omiya, Saitama City. Only 214 bottles were released at a full 62.6%, so this is a local anniversary bottling from the distillery's home prefecture.
About This Whisky
Cask #1953 was filled with Chichibu new make in 2012 and bottled in 2020, giving roughly eight years in an ex-bourbon cask. Bourbon wood is the backbone of the Chichibu warehouse and tends to bring out the spirit's fruit, vanilla and spice rather than masking it. The Omiya branch of Takashimaya lies in Saitama City, a short train ride from Chichibu, which gives the anniversary pick a local connection. Each of the 214 bottles is numbered.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Vanilla, honey and baked apple, with lemon zest, malted biscuit and a hint of white pepper.
- Palate: Full and oily, with orchard fruit, custard and cereal sweetness, building into ginger and oak spice.
- Finish: Long and warming, with sweet oak, citrus peel and dry spice.
Serving & Food
At 62.6% this is one to take slowly. A tulip glass and a teaspoon of water nearby help, and a chilled glass of water on the side is no bad thing. With food, try yakitori (tare rather than salt), roast pork belly or crème brûlée.
How to Enjoy
Fans of Chichibu's clean ex-bourbon style, and anyone collecting bottlings with a Saitama connection.
Product Details
Producer: Chichibu / Ichiro's Malt
Country: Japan
Region: Saitama
Category: Japanese single malt, single cask
Vintage: 2012
Bottled: 2020
Cask: Ex-bourbon
Cask Number: #1953
Commemorative bottling: Takashimaya Omiya 50th Anniversary
Bottles: 214
ABV: 62.6%
Volume: 700mL
About the Distillery
Chichibu is a Saitama distillery through and through, which makes a Saitama department store anniversary a natural fit. Ichiro Akuto opened it in 2008 in the hills above Chichibu city, the first new Japanese malt distillery in more than three decades. The climate there swings from freezing winters to humid summers, so spirit and oak interact quickly and young casks taste older than their years. Ex-bourbon barrels make up much of the warehouse, and single casks are regularly bottled for partners at full strength.