A 2012 Chichibu single malt matured in Pinot Noir wine cask #5073 and bottled in 2018 for The Whisky House at DFS Singapore. Bottled at 61.9%, it is a red-fruited, tannic take on the distillery's style.
About This Whisky
Cask #5073 was filled with Chichibu new make in 2012 and bottled in 2018 at around six years old, at full cask strength and without colouring or chill filtration. Pinot Noir casks are among the wine woods Ichiro Akuto has used since the early years, and they tend to give colour, a touch of tannin and red berry fruit. The cask was selected for The Whisky House, the specialist whisky shop run by DFS at Singapore Changi Airport, and it is one of the better rated Chichibu single casks on Whiskybase.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Cranberry and red cherry, with grape fudge, vanilla, roasted nuts and a light creamy note.
- Palate: Big and oily, with red fruit, tannic grip and warming spice over sweet malt.
- Finish: Long and drying, with berry skins, oak and pepper.
Serving & Food
Serve slightly below room temperature in a wine-style tulip, which suits the red fruit. The tannin softens with a few drops of water. Duck breast with plum sauce, char siu, or dark chocolate studded with dried cranberries make good partners.
How to Enjoy
Drinkers who enjoy wine-cask whisky, and Chichibu fans who prefer a fruit-led, grippy style over the bourbon-cask releases.
Product Details
Producer: Chichibu / Ichiro's Malt
Country: Japan
Region: Saitama
Category: Japanese single malt, single cask
Vintage: 2012
Bottled: 2018
Cask: Pinot Noir wine cask
Cask Number: #5073
Bottled for: The Whisky House at DFS Singapore
ABV: 61.9%
Volume: 700mL
About the Distillery
Wine casks have been part of the Chichibu toolkit almost from the start. Ichiro Akuto, whose grandfather founded Hanyu, began distilling here in 2008 and quickly built a varied cask stock alongside the usual bourbon barrels and sherry butts. The distillery is compact, with mizunara washbacks and a single pair of Forsyths pot stills, and it has its own small cooperage for repairs and re-coopering. The First, its debut single malt, came out in 2011; since then single casks for retailers such as The Whisky House in Singapore have become a big part of the output.