Chichibu cask #1825 is a single port pipe filled in 2012 and bottled at cask strength for Mitsukoshi Isetan, the Tokyo department store group. It gave 300 bottles at 59% ABV.
About This Whisky
A port pipe is a large, elongated cask that previously held port. Its wide surface of wine-seasoned oak passes on red fruit, raisin and a little tannic grip, and it makes for a darker, sweeter Chichibu than the usual bourbon-barrel style. This pipe was filled in 2012 and bottled for Mitsukoshi Isetan at 59% without dilution, for a total of 300 bottles.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Plum, raisin and honey, with white chocolate and a sour cherry note that builds in the glass.
- Palate: Juicy and sweet-sour, with red berries, dates, cumin and black pepper over dark rye bread.
- Finish: Medium to long, with toffee, rosemary and Earl Grey tea.
Serving & Food
Pour at a cool room temperature into a tulip glass. Water brings out the herbal and tea notes, so add a little partway through the glass. Very good with duck liver pâté, a dark chocolate and cherry torte or Stilton.
How to Enjoy
Fans of wine-cask Chichibu, and collectors of Japanese department-store bottlings.
Product Details
Producer: Chichibu / Ichiro's Malt
Country: Japan
Region: Saitama
Style: Japanese single malt whisky
Distilled: 2012
Cask Type: Port pipe
Cask Number: #1825
Selection: Mitsukoshi Isetan
ABV: 59.0%
Outturn: 300 bottles
Volume: 700ml
About the Distillery
Everything at Chichibu happens on one site, from mashing through to bottling. New make goes into cask at around 63.5%, and the casks rest in the distillery's own warehouses until the team judges them ready. Output is small, so rather than blending everything away, Chichibu releases a steady run of single casks, many chosen by or for named Japanese bars, shops and department stores. A lot of those bottlings stay in Japan and are rarely seen abroad, which is what makes the department-store selections interesting to collectors elsewhere.