Chichibu 7 Years Old 2014 Cask #13337 (TWE)

In the Saitama mountains northwest of Tokyo, Chichibu has made malt whisky since 2008 under Ichiro Akuto and his Venture Whisky company. Chichibu loses roughly three to five per cent of each cask a year to evaporation, near double the Scottish rate, so a young whisky here carries the depth of a much older one. Production is small, around a third of a million litres a year, with floor malting done by hand on occasion and every stage run under one roof.

This is unpeated single malt, matured in a red wine cask. By 7 years the spirit and oak have started to integrate, rougher notes softening as esters build into orchard and tropical fruit. The wine lends red berry fruit and a light tannic grip. Chichibu's fruit led house character carries throughout, pear and honey balanced by a dry, oaky finish.

This bottling was distilled in 2014, from cask 13337 and bottled in 2022. It is a run of 271 bottles, an event release, bottled by The Whisky Exchange. It is the kind of single cask that built the distillery's reputation among collectors in barely more than a decade. At 59.5% it drinks well neat, with water settling the oak.