Chichibu 7 Years Old 2016 Cask #6959 (LMDW)

Ichiro Akuto built Chichibu in 2008 in a landlocked basin in Saitama, carrying forward a distilling line that ran back through the lost Hanyu distillery. Water comes off the Arakawa river system, filtered through the surrounding mountains to a clean mineral balance that lets the fruit and oak show. 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 an Oloroso sherry cask. By 7 years the spirit and oak have started to integrate, rougher notes softening as esters build into orchard and tropical fruit. The Oloroso gives dried fruit and a walnut nuttiness. Underneath the wood, the make keeps its clean, fruity core, green apple and stone fruit with a light floral edge.

This bottling was distilled in 2016, from cask 6959 and bottled in 2023. It is a run of 289 bottles, released for France, bottled by La Maison du Whisky. Single casks like this are the heart of the Chichibu name, each one a different reading of the same young, fast matured spirit. At 63.1% it drinks well neat, with water settling the oak.