Chichibu Japan Warrior Series – Number One 8 Years Old 2009

The Chichibu distillery was founded in 2008 by Ichiro Akuto, whose family had distilled at the closed Hanyu plant, and works on a small scale in the Saitama mountains. Water comes off the Arakawa river system, filtered through the surrounding mountains to a clean mineral balance that lets the fruit and oak show. Wide day to night temperature swings drive the wood interaction, which is why Chichibu reads older than its years suggest.

This is unpeated single malt, matured in ex-bourbon American oak and finished in an Oloroso sherry cask and a white wine cask. By 8 years the spirit and oak have started to integrate, rougher notes softening as esters build into orchard and tropical fruit. Ex-bourbon vanillin reads as vanilla and oak lactones as coconut, while the Oloroso gives dried fruit and a walnut nuttiness and the wine gives crisp green apple and a light floral lift. The body is medium and the fruit clear, baked apple and citrus peel running into a warm, lightly spiced finish.

This bottling was distilled in 2009, from cask 2369 and bottled in 2017. It is a run of 265 bottles, released for Germany. Releases at this scale sell out quickly, which is part of why Chichibu has become one of the most traded distilleries in the world. At 61.9%, best read neat first, then opened with a little water.