A Chichibu single malt bottled for Whisky Talk Fukuoka 2015. Distilled in 2010, it spent its first years in a first-fill barrel before a second maturation in a third-fill puncheon, and was bottled at 60.8%.
About This Whisky
Whisky Talk Fukuoka is one of Japan's regional whisky festivals, and Ichiro's Malt has bottled Chichibu casks for it under illustrated labels. The 2015 release is about five years old. The first-fill barrel gives vanilla and sweetness, and the tired third-fill puncheon lets the spirit breathe without adding heavy wood. The outturn was 593 bottles.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Vanilla custard, pear, lemon zest and a little clove.
- Palate: Bright and compact, with honey, sweet malt, citrus and pepper warmed by the strength.
- Finish: Lively and persistent, with oak spice, candied lemon and lingering malt.
Serving & Food
Pour it into a nosing glass with a jug of still water on the side; it opens well at about 50% strength. Pair with karaage, Hakata mentaiko on rice or lemon tart.
How to Enjoy
Collectors following the Whisky Talk Fukuoka series, and drinkers interested in early Chichibu.
Product Details
Distillery: Chichibu / Ichiro's Malt
Event bottling: Whisky Talk Fukuoka 2015
Distilled: 2010
Bottled: 2015
Cask: 1st: first-fill barrel; 2nd: third-fill puncheon
Bottle Count: 593
ABV: 60.8%
Country: Japan
Bottle size: 700mL
About the Distillery
Chichibu was built in 2007 and began distilling in 2008. It sits in a basin in the hills of western Saitama, where hot summers and cold winters speed up the exchange between spirit and wood.
The team matures in bourbon barrels, sherry casks and new American, French and Mizunara oak, and has started floor malting locally grown barley. The small scale suits single-cask work, which is why festival bottlings like this one are such a large part of its output.