Ichiro's Malt Chichibu Distillery II
イチローズモルト 秩父蒸溜所II
About
The inaugural single malt release from Ichiro Akuto's new Chichibu No. 2 Distillery, which began operations in 2019 with roughly five times the capacity of the original. At 55.5% ABV, non chill filtered and natural color, this NAS release (believed to be 4 to 5 years old) already shows remarkable depth and signals where the next chapter of Chichibu is headed.
Tasting Notes
Honeyed and lively with vanilla cream, nutty grist, green apples, and pears. Subtle rustic hay and a faint, well integrated smoke in the background.
Rich and compact with a medium bodied, oily texture. Caramel, honey, custard, and apple pie flavors balanced by cinnamon, nutmeg, and gentle smokiness. Remarkably complex for its age.
Moderately long and warming. Dried fruits, gentle oak spice, lingering smoky barley, and a slightly earthy, medicinal bitterness.
What People Are Saying
88 Bamboo praised this as vibrant and remarkably complex for its young age, noting a heavier spirit compared to the original distillery's earlier outputs. The ex-bourbon maturation lets the new make character shine.
Massive excitement on Reddit about the first release from Distillery II. Users see this as proof that Ichiro Akuto can scale production without sacrificing quality. Supply is still limited and flips at premium prices, but expectations are high for future releases.
Community opinions collected from public forums and review sites. These are not our own ratings.
How to Enjoy
Best neat at first to appreciate the full ABV, then add water gradually. The whisky opens up beautifully with dilution. Not ideal for cocktails given the price.
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