Day #3 of our little Japanese Whisky review series , and today with Ichiro’s Malt.
For those who are not familiar with Ichiro Akuto, the grandson of the founder of now closed Hanyu Distillery. He started the Chichibu distillery in Japan’s Saitama prefecture in 2008, which by now released a few young (but good) expressions under the Chichibu label [check out my review of Ichiro’s first]
This particular whisky includes whisky distilled at the closed Hanyu distillery and was finished in a French oak cask that contained Japanese red wine, bottled and blended (vatted) at the Chichibu distillery (Ichiro’s new distillery). A rather unusual profile, don’t you think?
Ichiro’s Malt Wine Wood Reserve , NAS, 46% abv , £87 (TWE)
Nose: A lot of red wine in the nose – that’s for sure. Spicy too with a certain nutty or marzipan feel to it and even coconut which is a rather unique combination. Licorice and star anise with red berries and crushed pepper
Palate: Hot and spicy on the entry with a nice sweetness, some dried figs and not too much wine over here. And the fruity side shines through. Red berries , chilly.on the second wave the tannins kick in and the grape peel and wine is felt more strongly. Some milk chocolate and cocoa too.
Finish : Pepper and chilly. Red wine. Tannins. Dark chocolate. Hints of berries and some smoky note too.
Conclusion:
A very nice whisky, with not too much wine influence, sometimes it resembles a sherry cask (dried fruit, figs etc).
Score: 86/100
Cheers Yoav