Chichibu 2012 Pinot Noir Cask #5073 is a niche Japanese single-cask release from Ichiro's Malt, combining Chichibu's cult distillery status with the unusual choice of a Pinot Noir wine cask for maturation. Distilled in 2012 and bottled at high strength, it sits in the wine-cask curiosity bracket that Chichibu's small-batch programme is known for.
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. Wine-cask maturation is a deliberate part of the Chichibu programme: rather than relying on the large refill bourbon casks that dominate the established Japanese whisky industry, Ichiro Akuto has consistently sourced a wide range of wine casks — red Burgundy, Pinot Noir, Bordeaux, Madeira and others — to layer colour, tannin and fruit against the new-make spirit. Cask #5073 is one of those Pinot Noir-matured single casks from the 2012 distillate programme, presented at natural strength and without colouring or chill-filtration in line with the Ichiro's Malt house style.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Red fruit, malt sweetness, soft spice and fragrant oak.
- Palate: Focused and cask-led, with berry-toned fruit, cereal richness and drying spice.
- Finish: Long and warming, with oak, pepper and lingering wine-cask lift.
Best For
Chichibu collectors, Japanese single-cask buyers and drinkers interested in unusual wine-cask bottlings.
Product Details
Producer: Chichibu / Ichiro's Malt
Region / Country: Saitama, Japan
Vintage: 2012
Cask type stated in market references: Pinot Noir cask
Cask Number: #5073
Category: Japanese single cask whisky
Format: 700mL
ABV: 61.9%
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