Chichibu Ichiro’s Malt & Grain – Maduro

Ichiro's Malt & Grain is a world blend built around Chichibu. Ichiro Akuto marries his own Saitama malt with malt and grain whiskies sourced from Scotland, Ireland, the United States and Canada, alongside stock from the closed Japanese distilleries Hanyu and the Kawasaki grain plant tied to his distilling line.

Being a blend, grain whisky lightens and sweetens the malt into an approachable style. Without an age statement the cask does the talking, esters and vanillin building fruit and vanilla over a young but quickly matured spirit. Ex-bourbon vanillin reads as vanilla, the grain lends a clean cereal sweetness, and Chichibu's orchard fruit carries over the top. Sourced peated malt adds a gentle smoke and a peppery warmth on the finish.

Bottled at 58% in a run of 256 for Japan. It carries the label line that this is a worldwide blended whisky, an accessible way into the Chichibu name. Natural colour and an easy, sweet profile. It remains one of the most collected names in modern Japanese whisky. Demand for the distillery's bottlings has long outpaced its small output. It reflects the distillery's reputation for careful, small scale work.