Chichibu, Ichiro's Malt, Red Wine Cask Edition, 2023, Japan, Single Malt Whisky (50.5%, 70cl)

Chichibu Red Wine Cask 2023 is a new release from Chichibu Distillery in Japan. It is composed of a total of 36 different casks of whiskey between 6 and 13 years old. All the casks are former red wine casks from France, USA, New Zealand and even Japan. The whiskey is bottled at 50.5% alcohol and neither chill-filtered nor caramel color added.

Colour: Amber gold.
Aroma: Complex aroma of blueberry and red fruit, honey and citrus.
Tasting notes: Rich, fresh notes of mint, blueberry, caramel and milk chocolate.

About the producer:

Visionary Ichiro Akuto established the Chichibu Japanese whiskey distillery in 2008, just four years following the closure of his family's renowned Hanyu distillery. Convincing both banks and investors of Chichibu's potential amid a 25-year decline in Japanese whiskey interest required substantial effort. However, Ichiro's perseverance paid off, delivering exceptional quality from the outset, thanks to his prior training at esteemed distilleries like Benromach, Kilchoman, BenRiach, and Karuizawa. Today, Ichiro stands as the most influential figure in contemporary Japanese whiskey.

The primary malt predominantly hails from England, with a minor contribution from Germany. Nevertheless, Chichibu has begun incorporating locally grown barley, including Japanese varieties sourced mere minutes from the distillery, despite its higher cost. This local barley constitutes roughly 15% of the annual production due to its expense. Additionally, each summer, before the distillery undergoes maintenance, a portion of strongly smoked malt (50+ ppm) is distilled. Notably, Chichibu distinguishes itself through its extensive cask experimentation, utilizing tequila, calvados, cognac, and beer casks, alongside casks crafted from Japan's unique mizunara oak.

A hallmark of Ichiro Akuto's character is his forward-thinking approach, a valuable trait for a whiskey maker. Beyond the distillery's confines, he has planted mizunara oak trees, envisioning them as future casks in approximately 200 years.