Chichibu Distillery II Hint of Sherry

Characteristics and tasting tips for Chichibu Distillery II Hint of Sherry by Chichibu

Tasting notes

Appearance
Deep gold.

Nose
The first nose reveals a captivating smokiness, lifted by vivid lemon zest and delicate exotic lychee. With aeration, it softens and becomes more indulgent, with notes of raisin, vanilla pod and liquid honey.

Palate
The attack offers a striking contrast. Powerful smoke and textured ash notes are wrapped in an intensely creamy texture, evoking crème fraîche and milky nuances. Dark chocolate and a springlike sweetness, both floral and candied, recall old-fashioned sweets. The finish is powerful, long and very indulgent, with notes of Lapsang Souchong tea, lingering smoke and an alluring sweetness.

Pairings and tasting occasions

This deep, precise single malt is made for contemplative sipping. Enjoy it neat, or with a drop of water to open up the bouquet. Its richness and structure make it an ideal companion at the end of a meal. Its dark chocolate notes pair naturally with chocolate desserts.

Mixology

An exceptional whisky, this Chichibu II is best enjoyed without embellishment, to preserve the full finesse of its balance between smoke, creaminess and indulgence.

Other characteristics

This whisky contains a small proportion of peated malt, which lends a subtle smoky note. It is bottled at 53.5% ABV and presented in a 70 cl bottle, in a case. It comes from sherry and bourbon casks, with an age of 5 to 6 years and no age statement on the label. It is a limited edition, the “Second Edition” of Chichibu II.

A smoky, indulgent Japanese whisky by Chichibu

Chichibu, an independent distillery at the heart of Japanese whisky

Founded by Ichiro Akuto, the Chichibu distillery has been distilling since 2008 in Chichibu, in Saitama Prefecture (Honshū), about 80 km northwest of Tokyo. This venture grew out of the rescue of the last casks from the former family distillery Hanyu, founded by his grandfather Isouji Akuto. It belongs to Venture Whisky Ltd., an independent company led by Ichiro Akuto. The original distillery is renowned for its mizunara fermentation vats and its small stills. In 2019, Chichibu II, a second site equipped with direct-fired stills, joined the production facilities. Chichibu has established itself as one of the most influential houses in the renaissance of Japanese whisky.

Chichibu Distillery II Hint of Sherry, an exceptional Japanese single malt

Chichibu Distillery II Hint of Sherry is a whisky from Chichibu II, the second distillery, built close to the first and which began production in 2019. Larger in scale, it is equipped with French oak fermentation vats and Forsyths stills heated directly by flame.

This limited edition, the “Second Edition” of Chichibu II, is the second official release from this site and arrives seven years after it began operating in 2019. It combines the sweetness of sherry casks with the structure of bourbon casks, along with a small proportion of peated malt that brings a subtle smoky note. The whiskies in the blend are 5 to 6 years old. It is presented in a case, in a 70 cl bottle, bottled at 53.5% ABV.