Cask #2651 is a Chichibu sherry hogshead distilled in 2010 and bottled for Mitsukoshi Isetan, the Japanese department store group. It is a small outturn of 162 bottles, drawn at cask strength.
About This Whisky
Sherry hogsheads hold roughly 250 litres, less than a butt, so the spirit has more contact with the wood. Cask #2651 was filled in 2010 and bottled in 2017 after about seven years, at 59% ABV. The finished whisky was chosen for Mitsukoshi Isetan and limited to 162 bottles. Expect the darker, richer side of Chichibu, with dried fruit, cocoa and spice from the sherry-seasoned oak.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Raisin, fig and cocoa, with orange peel, clove and a note of polished furniture.
- Palate: Rich and weighty, with dark toffee, prune, cinnamon and a savoury, nutty edge.
- Finish: Warming and persistent, with black pepper, dark chocolate and drying oak.
Serving & Food
An after-dinner dram. A small snifter at room temperature works well; a splash of water softens the strength and brings up the dried fruit. Match with Christmas pudding, Manchego with quince paste or dark chocolate truffles.
How to Enjoy
Lovers of sherry-matured whisky who want to see Chichibu in that style.
Product Details
Producer: Chichibu / Ichiro's Malt
Vintage: 2010
Bottled: 2017
Cask type: Sherry hogshead
Cask Number: #2651
Selection: Mitsukoshi Isetan
ABV: 59%
Outturn: 162 bottles
Category: Japanese single cask whisky
Origin: Japan
Region: Saitama
Volume: 700mL
About the Distillery
In 2010 Chichibu was barely two years old and still working at a very small scale, with one mash tun, eight mizunara washbacks and a single pair of pot stills. Output was modest, so casks from those early vintages are thin on the ground today. Sherry wood was part of the plan from the early days, alongside the ex-bourbon barrels that make up most of the stock. A sherry hogshead from 2010 is therefore a glimpse of how the young distillery handled heavier, fruit-rich casks before it had much of a track record.