Chichibu’s Japan Warrior Series Launches Globally

It’s finally here. The bottle all die-hard Chichibu fans have been waiting for!

In its mission to supply both the domestic and global market with fine, experimental, and unique whisky, Ichiro Akuto’s Chichibu Distillery have launched the very first bottle from the Chichibu Japan Warrior single cask series for the German market.  

Chichibu is truly reaching out. A newer and stronger single cask Port Pipe release was bottled for the U.S. market. With only 618 bottles available, this new release is both rarer and more intense than its 2013 Port Pipe relative.

What’s more, some Chichibu Travel Exclusive bottles can only be found at several airport duty free stores around the world. Look out for single cask releases 2642 (Spanish Oloroso Sherry Cask) and 2650 (American White Oak Oloroso Sherry).

As this new Japan Warrior bottle is called Bottle One, we can expect to see more “warriors” in the coming years. Exactly how many casks there will be, however, remains a mystery.

Chichibu Japan Warrior Series- Bottle One

After months of building anticipation, the first bottle in the Japan Warrior whisky series will finally be available from September 1st, 2017.

Chichibu whisky releases are rare and sought-after enough, but single cask releases are like rainbows. One minute they are there looking beautiful, and then they are gone forever!

So, the minute the Japan Warrior bottle was put up for pre-orders on several German whisky sites, the limited number of bottles quickly sold out. But, fear not, we have some bottles available on request, so just follow the link above.

The whisky was distilled at Chichibu in 2009. It was then put into a sherry puncheon where it rested peacefully until June 2013. The whisky was then transferred to a white wine cask from a famous French winery, whose name could not be given, and left to mature until February 2017, when bottling began.

At 61.9% ABV, this is a Chichibu whisky through and through, with all the intensity and depth that comes with the title.

The bottle is beautiful and the labelling is very Japanese. Each bottle comes in a hand-crafted box featuring a specially designed samurai, and the bottles all have abundant information in English on the back, for those who want to know that little bit more about the release.

Tasting Notes

Lime blossom, white wine freshness, and gorgeous juicy peaches come bursting through on the nose. It’s all fruity and light, and the aromas blend in wonderfully together.

The fruity, floral character continues on the palate, as the peaches intensify and the wine comes becomes more evident. The label says mountain currant, however, I mostly detected the lime, grapefruit, and white wine.

The mouth feel is very smooth, and oily, and with some added water, all the flavours are pushed out further. The finish is pleasantly long, with the oily, syrupy feel continuing. Look out for that finishing touch of grapefruit as the finish begins to fade.

The great Ichiro Akuto has done it again and created a Chichibu whisky meant to convert more German people into die-hard fans. When will he be bottling a cask for your country? Let us know where you are, and we’ll do our best to find out for you!