4 minute read
Chichibu
The sharing of casks for storing, aging and blending between distilleries was not done in Japan until recently. While Nagahama and Saburomaru, announced their ‘ground-breaking’ cask exchange project in March this year, it turns out that six years earlier Hombo Shuzo (Mars) and Venture Whisky (Chichibu) had already started their own exchange under the radar. In 2015, these influential distillers swapped several casks of their new make to be aged and then finally blended at the foster distillery. The result of this collaboration is two 100% Japanese blended malts: Hombo Shuzo's Mars Whisky Malt Duo Komagatake X Chichibu 2021; and Ichiro's Malt Double Distilleries 2021 Chichibu X Komagatake. Here, we have the Chichibu bottling. The story behind this collaboration alone has seen the release set the secondary market on fire. Arriving with our most recent shipment, we’re also able to offer the latest releases of Chichibu Ichiro’s Malt and Grain bottlings.
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Chichibu x Komagatake
53% abv. The first of its kind, this collab release contains both Mars Komagatake and Chichibu single malt Whiskeys, which have been aged, blended and bottled at Chichibu. The Mars Komagatake new make was distilled in 2015 at an altitude of 798 meters at the foot of Mount Komagatake in the Central Alps of Nagano Prefecture, and then aged at Chichibu in a combination sherry and American oak barrels for nearly six years. The Chichibu portion was aged in a variety of casks: exbourbon casks; Sherry hogsheads; French wine barrels; new American oak; and casks made from native Mizunara oak, coopered on site.
A soft, toffee/gold hue. The nose offers up caramel sweetness and fruit in the tropical spectrum, balanced by gentle leathery notes and parchment. The palate offers toffee elements along with more of those tropical fruits including banana and pineapple and finishes with sea spray. Overall, this presents with Ichiro’s trademark expressive fruitiness, joined by the singular, silky texture that is the signature of Mars Komagatake.
This is a vatting of single malt from the Hanyu Distillery (built by Ichiro Akuto’s grandfather) with younger distillate from the Chichibu Distillery (built by Ichiro himself). After Hanyu was sold in 2000 (to a Kyoto-based Shochu producer) Akuto managed to rescue a mere 400 casks of more mature Whisky from its vaults. This bottling therefore represents a family blend of Akuto Whiskies, both from different generations and different distilleries. The Hanyu material was traditionally matured in Sherry hogsheads. The Chichibu distillate was vatted in Japanese Mizunara oak at Chichibu and then aged in Japanese oak. The marriage is a fine one, with the delicate sweetness and punchy fruit notes of the Chichibu malt dovetailing with the barley-rich, structured Hanyu. Non-chill filtered and non-coloured.
Chichibu
Ichiro’s Malt Wine Wood Reserve Pure Malt Whisky
Like the other Leaf Series bottlings, Ichiro’s Malt Wine Wood Reserve is a blend of pure malts from both Hanyu and Chichibu. In this case, the Hanyu element is composed of whisky matured in French Oak that previous contained Japanese red wine. The Chichibu portion was matured in the unique Ovum casks (20 hectolitre egg-shaped barrels made from French oak), shaped in the Charentes region by Taransaud. The result is a Whisky with a uniquely vinous nose with nut, berry and spice overtones. The palate continues its spicy theme with balanced sweetness leading to a finish with dark chocolate and a whisper of smoke.
Chichibu
46% ABV. It’s rare, expensive and hard to work with, but for Ichiro Akuto the positives of using this Japanese oak—Mizunara— outweigh the negatives. Mizunara is primarily prized for its “remarkable aromatic qualities” and, according to Dave Broom, it is said to impart scents of sandalwood, cedar and aloeswood with coconut and leafy notes. Chichibu’s washbacks are built from this wood, and now there’s this unique Mizunara-wood bottling. From the initial fermentation, through to maturation and vatting, the MWR has spent its entire upbringing in Mizunara oak. As with the Wine Wood Reserve, Akuto uses a partial solera method whereby the older material is constantly refreshed by younger single malts, developing complexity as well as allowing for precision and consistency. Non-chill filtered and non-coloured.
Chichibu
Ichiro’s Malt and Grain Blended Whisky
46% ABV. While the exact source of the material is not published, we know that this is a blend of Japanese distilled material, vatted with Whiskies sourced from around the world, in two 5,000-litre wooden barrels built by French cooper Taransaud. In addition to Whisky from Ichiro Akuto’s own stocks, the blend contains spirits from Canada, the United States, Ireland and Scotland. The imported Whiskies were between three and five years old, aged in their country of origin before being carefully blended with local Japanese material and matured for a further one to three years at Chichibu. Non-chill filtered and non-coloured.
Chichibu
Ichiro’s Malt and Grain Limited Edition Whisky
48% ABV. Each year Ichiro Akuto selects the cream of his Blended Whisky for this ‘bluelabel’, limited-edition version of Chichibu’s Malt & Grain (listed above). It combines Whisky from his own Chichibu distillery with other stocks from his warehouses, including malt and grain from overseas distilleries. This is fruity, complex and softly spiced, with balanced citrus and honeyed sweetness. Notes of pine needle and blossom linger on the finish.
