Whisky Chichibu "On The Way"

Distillery Bottling Distilled: blended malt Bottled: 2013 Aging: 5 years old Bottles : 9900 Cask : ex-bourbon and chibidaru (combination of bourbon hoghsheads and Mizunara wood) ABV: 58,5% Volume: 700 ml Bottling info: Chichibu is a rising star in the realm of Japanese whisky. As it continues to garner numerous accolades, both investors and enthusiasts are beginning to recognize the inherent worth of Chichibu. This growing recognition is hardly unexpected, especially considering the visionary behind the distillery—Ichiro Akuto, the grandson of the now-defunct Hanyu distillery. The whisky was aged in a unique blend of ex-Bourbon casks and Ichiro's proprietary "chibidaru" casks. These hogshead casks are specially crafted by cutting across the diameter, resulting in a shorter, broader quarter cask design. Notably, they feature new Mizunara white oak heads to get the spirit a spicy, woody Mizunara twist. Tasting note: Very punchy, citric and herbal, with some peppermint, lemons, paprika, green apples, and one cough pill. Something by Vicks, I’d say. With water: more fruit-forward, but the mentholy side remains there in the background. Finish: medium, sweet, with even a few sugary notes. Barley syrup. Comments: I’m rather more for this little one. Score: 85/100 Whiskyfun.com