This set gathers the three 2006 casks from the Ken's Choice Jazz Instrumental series: Piano, Contrabass and Drums. All three are Kentucky whiskeys that finished their ageing at the Chichibu distillery in Japan and were bottled there in 2018. Each is a single cask at its own natural strength.
About This Whisky
The Piano is cask 2969, aged in Kentucky until 2013 and at Chichibu from December 2013, bottled at 52.8% with 108 bottles. The Contrabass, cask 1651, and the Drums, cask 1675, both moved to Japan in February 2012; they came out at 53.4% (108 bottles) and 55.7% (103 bottles). All three were bottled in August 2018, so they show the same spirit through slightly different casks.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Shared ground of caramel, vanilla and charred oak; the Piano leans sweeter, the Drums spicier.
- Palate: Rich corn sweetness and baking spice throughout, with the oak grip rising as the strength goes up.
- Finish: Warm and oak-led across the set, from soft toffee on the Piano to pepper and char on the Drums.
Serving & Food
Line them up in three matching glasses at room temperature, lowest strength first, and keep a jug of water nearby. Plain crackers, salted nuts and a little dark chocolate keep the palate honest between pours.
How to Enjoy
A side-by-side tasting evening, or a complete set for someone who follows Ken's Choice.
Product Details
Producer: Distilled in Kentucky, USA; second maturation and bottling at Chichibu
Series: Ken's Choice Jazz Instrumental Edition
Contents: Piano cask #2969 (52.8%), Contrabass cask #1651 (53.4%), Drums cask #1675 (55.7%)
Vintage: 2006
Bottled: 2018
Category: American Whiskey, second-matured in Japan
Volume: Set of 3 x 700ml
Origin: USA (distilled) / Japan (matured and bottled)
About the Distillery
Ken's Choice is a private label connected with Ken's Bar in Tokyo. It sent a small group of American barrels from 2006 and 2007 to Chichibu for a second maturation, then released them individually. The Kentucky distiller is not named, though specialist merchants often point to Wild Turkey. Later instruments, including a saxophone from 2006 and a guitar, trumpet and vocal from 2007, followed the first three.
Chichibu belongs to Ichiro Akuto's Venture Whisky and has distilled in Saitama since 2008. It is best known for its single malts, but its warehouses and cask know-how have also drawn outside projects like this one.
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