Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu On The Way – 2019

You’ve heard about Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu, right? If you haven’t, it’s about time you did! He is a rock star of the Japanese whisky world, and his family have been in the alcoholic beverage industry since the 1600s. Ichiro’s father ran the Hanyu distillery and experiment with whisky making until his unfortunate bankruptcy. Ichiro then found his own Chichibu distillery, acquire the remains of the Hanyu stock and sold it as his own. Here, we have Ichiro’s malt whisky that is recently release. It is from the On The Way range of Ichiro. Like everything else from Ichiro, a true delight!

However. Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu On The Way 2019 Release is cull from fifty-two casks age between five and ten years. The mix of casks is eclectic with the majority beingfirst-fill ex-Bourbon barrels with some second-fill quarter casks (chibidaru) and Mizunara hogsheads mix in. Nevertheless. The aroma is a fruit bomb with pears and apples up front, follows by sultanas, apricot, and coconut over notes of fresh croissants. The palate is well-balance and silky with more notes of buttery croissant, strawberry jam, exotic fruits, gentle spices, and shortbread biscuits. The finish is medium length with a note like warm dutch apple pie serve on a plank of toast oak.

Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu On The Way – 2019

This is the third edition of the Chichibu On the Way. The first edition was released in 2013 and was a vatting of casks that were between 3 and 5 YO, then we saw the second edition in 2015 with casks aged between 5 and 7 YO.

This Chichibu On the Way 2019 is a vatting of 52 casks holding whisky that was between 7 and 10 YO. This series showcases the way towards the first 10 YO core range product from Chichibu, which we will possibly see in a year or two.

This 52 casks this time around were mainly bourbon casks, some Chibidaru casks, a few 250 litre Mizunara casks and a very few casks holding peated whisky.

Nose: Warm, cozy and comforting. Creamy vanilla pudding, almond milk. A touch of exotic spices. Dark chocolate and a hint of coffee. I also pick up oranges and malty notes.

Taste: Rich, rich, rich! Peppery up front, spicy and with a touch of peat. Soo rich and palate covering. Almonds, ginger, cinnamon, and toast with honey. Apples and pears in the background.

Finish: Medium to long finish. Malty and a touch dry. The toast is now served with both honey and orange marmalade. More spices in the background.