Chichibu 2015 Single Bourbon Cask #5262 Martial Arts Trilogy #1 (2021) 70cl

Chichibu 2015 Single Bourbon Cask #5262 Martial Arts Trilogy #1 (2021) 70cl

1 of 233 Bottles produced

The new Chichibu Martial Arts Trilogy is bottled in a series of 3. Each of the new releases (bourbon cask, beer cask and Chibidaru cask) were made available by ballot back in 2022.

This is about as classic a Chichibu as you can get: bourbon cask, unpeated spirit and time. While the wood has had a definite impact – Tokyo is a bit warmer than Scotland, and even six years is enough to add in layers of oak-tinged flavour – the distillery’s fruity spirit is really evident here. The edges found in some younger releases have been sanded down, leaving a fruity and spicy whisky that’s right up my street:

What even is Chichibu?

In short, Chichibu is a distillery founded in 2008 by Japanese whisky veteran Ichiro Akuto. Once Hanyu, his family’s distillery, closed in 2000, he struck out on his own, selling single casks and becoming a well-respected and award-winning blender thanks to the Ichiro’s Malts range. However, there’s only so much you can do with other people’s whisky, and in 2008 Chichibu opened its doors.

The past 14 years have seen it slowly but surely gain a fearsome reputation, with its limited-edition releases flying off the shelves. In order to meet the huge demand, Akuto-san has now built a second distillery – informally known as Chichibu 2 – a few minutes drive from his original location, and has increased production. We will have to wait a few years before there’s more of his whisky, especially as he has now released a first ten-year old – called Chichibu The First Ten – and shown what happens when we leave him to mature his whisky in peace. In the meantime, we will have to make do with an occasional fantastic single cask or two. Or three.

TASTING NOTES

Nose: Apple tarte tatin, crunchy toffee and apple boiled sweets – intense orchard fruit with sweetness and a touch of fruity acidity. Pastry notes develop, adding in extra layers of vanilla and exotic spice – cumin, ground ginger, allspice and clove: more jerk than curry. Tropical fruit notes build around the edges – mango jam, juicy pineapple and dried papaya – while spiced custard rolls though the middle with white and milk chocolate.

Palate: Sweet and spicy, with ginger-laced caramel, chocolate sauce and chocolate sponge cake to start, all backed up by baked apples dusted with cinnamon and brown sugar. Minty notes build – mint fondant and mint chocolate chips – as the chocolate fades, and layers of orchard fruit emerge – red-wine poached pears, apple sauce, fresh tart green apples and sweet red apples, all dusted with rich muscovado sugar.

Finish: Apples and pears with a touch of chilli heat, mint chocolate chips and beeswax-polished oak.

59.5% ABV

70cl