Chichibu Hanyu Ichiro's Malt The Peated 2018 #8794-11550

Chichibu Hanyu Ichiro's Malt "The Peated" 2018 #8794-11550, Single Malt Whisky, Japan, 70cl

COLOUR: Bright gold. NOSE: Smoky, roasted/burnt tarry notes balanced by delicate sweet notes of caramelised apples & peaches, light citrus hints (lemon balm/pink grapefruit/blood-orange), walnuts, vanilla, malt and cereals, toasted oak. PALATE: Rich and full-bodied, chiseled, unfolding the aromas predicted on the nose in a perfectly balanced explosion of earthy peat, roasted fruit, cured meat, and a hint of chocolate. FINISH: Long and persistent, reminiscent of chocolate, ginger, honey, citrus and persistent sweet wood smoke.

Distilled in 2013, this cask strength (55.5% ABV), five year old whisky celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Chichibu distillery. Aged in ex-Bourbon barrels. Bottle #8794 of 11,550 produced.

Critic's Tasting Note:

"NOSE: A fleeting whiff of something vegetal, floral. Manila envelopes and the smell of the inside of a filing cabinet. Then som tar and salt, sea, some smoke but not monolithic. Black pepper and a bit of chocolate truffle. Boxwood and pomelo rinds (despite all my talk above of stone fruits!). Halls pink grapefruit candies, wool in the rain, mossy and tarry. With water more smoke and boxwood, some lanolin. Some Moroccan mint tea - deep menthol notes, not high ones. Some deeper smoldering peat.

I got a pretty different second tasting. With water, some grilled smoked kippers and eggplants and artichokes - oily and deep and maritime and vegetal too. A brief burst of cooked chipotle pinto beans. Some guava.

PALATE: Very slightly metallic on the first tasting but not after it oxidized for the second. Oily and malty sweetness, some pomelo syrup and smoky oil, a bit of maritime funk. With water more smoke, now a bit more medicinal.

The second tasting was much more meaty, which was great. Peppery, meaty, oily. Pork and beef shank meats. Smoked sausages and pulled pork. some brine and char. With water this time more of the chichibu distillate came out, some lighter pebbly and powdery notes.

FINISH: Oily smoke and lanolin. Long, smoldering fire. Pebbly and floral at times. Crushed daisies. VERDICT: There is a lot going on here. It is not as much integrated (how could it be at 5 years old) as much as very nicely layered. Really good."

89/100 points, WORLD WHISKY, 2022

Also GOLD (Tastings Awards) at the International Spirits Challenge, 2019 and SILVER at the Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition, 2019

This is part of a private customer’s collection. These whiskies are in excellent condition. We are acting as an agent in the sale and the price is exclusive of V.A.T. which is not due.