A 2011 vintage single cask from Ichiro Akuto's Chichibu distillery.

Chichibu distillery in Saitama, Japan was opened in 2008, and was the country’s first new distillery since Suntory opened Hakushu back in 1973. Chichibu was the brainchild of Ichiro Akuto, grandson of the founder of the legendary Hanyu distillery. The Ichiro’s Malt brand appeared in 2005 and rose to fame through the bottling of the last casks from Hanyu, particularly the sought after ‘Card’ series. The first Chichibu releases appeared under it in 2011.

Bourbon barrel #1179 was selected exclusively for Prineus GmbH in Germany.

One of 216 bottles.

So another one for those German chaps with impeccable tastes. Full bourbon and no finishing, that’s whisky as nature intended. Let’s see… Colour: white wine/straw. Nose: get out of here! Custard, croissants, white currants and gooseberries, and just a whiff of tincture of benzoin. Immaculate. With water: yep. Peach bread, perhaps? Mouth (neat): crikey, how good is that? Sure it’s not very deep, nor complex, and neither is it spectacular, but it’s precise, like an old well-taken-care-of Swiss watch. Millimetric vanilla, dough, shortbread, barley, oranges, and a wee touch of lovage for good measure. Cal that miso if you must. With water: not the first time I notice that Chichibu swims very well – even the craziest finishes do. Peaches and apricot biscuits with a firmer maltiness. Finish: long, on cakes. Liquid pastry. Comments: let’s talk about carbon emissions and efficiency at the Japanese whisky distilleries. Okay, maybe next time.

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