Chichibu Ichiro's Malt 8 yo Imperial Stout Vol.61,3% Cl.70

Exceptional bottling from Ichiro Akuto's Chichibu distillery, the single malt Chichibu 8 years Imperial Stout released exclusively for Velier.

The Chichibu 8 Years Imperial Stout Japanese whiskey is the first single malt produced by the Chichibu distillery, founded in 2008 by Ichiro Akuto, with barley fermentation on the distillery floor and dedicated to the fundamental concepts of Earth, Water, Fire and Air, which represent raw material, fermentation, distillation and aging respectively, and which are explained on the label.

His family had a history of producing sake for 300 years before his grandfather changed production in favor of whiskies.

The distillery, Hanyu, unfortunately only lasted two generations, but Ichiro is determined to keep the family tradition alive.

Distilling is Ichiro Akuto's passion, who amazes us with exceptional single malts, true liquid gold.

Barley malt fermented to Akuto's specifications learned on a trip to Scotland.

Ichiro's single malt immediately won over Japanese whiskey enthusiasts and collectors.

This Chichibu is a Single Cask – number #11037 – distilled in 2014 and bottled in 2022, produced from English barley of the Concerto variety and water from the Ochi River.

This whiskey is produced thanks to the talent and experience of Ichiro Akuto by indirect steam heating; the washback is Mizunara wood; the mashing is manual, and the fermentation is long; the distillation takes place in a Forsyth pot still with a descending neck; the cask used for aging previously contained Imperial Stout beer.

Once again the combination of aging barrels proposed by Ichiro is innovative but, as a great master, it produces one of the best Japanese single malts in the world.

Even though it has been aged for 8 years, this single malt has characteristics of evolution and unexpected, very complex and exceptional flavours.

Japanese single malt whiskey Chichibu 8 years Imperial Stout is a limited edition produced exclusively for the Italian selector and distributor Velier, a very rare limited edition of chichibu, in 2022 only a few bottles were available.

The few bottles produced and the great demand make it a safe economic investment.

Today it is one of the most sought after collectible whiskeys and its value grows every year at auctions.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: A series of sweet sensations, accompanied by the aromas of malt. An explosion of perfumes.

Taste: soft and round, reminiscent of butter biscuits. Most likely one of the sweetest malts, in terms of aroma.

Finish: moderate, a pinch of cinnamon and bitter chocolate, honey biscuits and light vegetal note.