Number one in the Chichibu Japan Warrior Series, a samurai-themed run of single casks made for the German market. Distilled in 2009, it spent four years in a sherry puncheon before moving to a French white wine cask, and was bottled in 2017 at 61.9%.
About This Whisky
The spirit was distilled in 2009 and filled into a sherry puncheon, where it stayed until June 2013. It was then moved into a white wine cask from a French estate whose name was not released, and left there until bottling in 2017 at 61.9%. The wine cask adds citrus and fresh acidity on top of the sherry weight. The series was put together by the teams at JapanWhiskys.com and the East Asia Whisky Company.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Lime, grapefruit and white grape, with honey, sultana and polished oak underneath.
- Palate: Dense and bright together: apricot, nectarine and lemon curd over nutty sherry and malt.
- Finish: Long, with citrus zest, a hint of dried fruit and warming spice.
Serving & Food
Pour it neat into a tall tulip. It is strong, so add a teaspoon of water and wait before judging. Good with sushi, particularly fatty tuna, or with Iberico ham and Marcona almonds.
How to Enjoy
Collectors following the Warrior Series from its first release, and drinkers who like wine-finished malt with plenty of power.
Product Details
Distillery: Chichibu, Japan
Category: Japanese Single Malt Whisky
Series / Vintage: Japan Warrior Series No. 1, distilled 2009 and bottled 2017
Age: No age statement
Cask / Finish: Cask #2369, sherry puncheon to June 2013, then French white wine cask
Market: Germany
Volume: 700mL
ABV: 61.9% ABV
Origin: Japan
About the Distillery
Most Chichibu is made from imported barley, but the distillery also malts part of its own grain the old way, spread and turned on a floor. Staff have travelled to Britain to learn floor malting, and they use it on barley grown in Saitama, which finds its way into some of the single malts. Peated malt is brought in from Scotland. Mashing, fermentation, distillation and maturation all take place on the same site, run by Ichiro Akuto's company Venture Whisky. That small, self-contained setup is what allows cask-by-cask projects like this series.