A 2012 Chichibu from a first-fill bourbon barrel, cask #1883, bottled in 2016 at 55.7% for Spirits Shop' Selection in Taiwan. The label takes its theme from the white heron dance of Asakusa, and the run came to 209 bottles.
About This Whisky
Distilled in 2012 and filled into a first-fill ex-bourbon barrel, which gives plenty of vanilla and sweetness in a short time. It was bottled in 2016, after about four years, at 55.7% for Spirits Shop' Selection, the Taipei importer and bottler, as a pair with cask #1402 from 2011. The artwork refers to Shirasagi no Mai, the white heron dance performed in Tokyo's Asakusa district. Outturn: 209 bottles.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Vanilla custard, ripe banana and pear, with honeycomb and a dusting of cinnamon.
- Palate: Sweet and fairly full: toffee apple, citrus, fresh malt and ginger, with first-fill oak giving grip.
- Finish: Medium-long, with coconut, gentle spice and malt.
Serving & Food
Room temperature and a Glencairn work well. At 55.7% it is manageable neat, and a splash of cool water lifts the fruit. Match it with crème brûlée, char siu or a nutty aged Gouda.
How to Enjoy
Bourbon-cask Chichibu fans, and those keeping the Spirits Shop' Selection pair together with cask #1402.
Product Details
Distillery: Chichibu
Vintage: 2012
Bottled: 2016
Cask: #1883
Cask Type: First-fill bourbon barrel
Selection: Spirits Shop' Selection, Taiwan
Bottles: 209
Category: Japanese Single Malt Whisky
Volume: 700mL
Region: Saitama, Japan
ABV: 55.7% ABV
Origin: Japan
About the Distillery
When Chichibu was licensed, it was the first new whisky distillery Japan had approved in about 35 years. Building finished in 2007 and the stills first ran in February 2008 at Midorigaoka, in Chichibu city. The first proper single malt, Chichibu The First, came out in 2011 as a three-year-old, and Whisky Advocate named it Japanese Whisky of the Year the following year. That early recognition set a pattern the distillery still follows: small releases, a steady flow of single casks, and close working ties with specialist shops and bars in Europe and Asia.