Nose: Marshmallow, chocolate truffles and brown sugar, with berries and figs, mild tobacco and even a hint of hemp Palate: More chocolate, with sweet licorice, berries and guava. Some sour-sweetness comes across with acerola cherry, lime and pickled ginger. Elegant leather and bitter tea leaves, with some mild tobacco again, and then shortbread round it out with some spicy bitterness. Finish: Long warm brandy and cherry liquor, tobacco, spices and bitter fruit peels. Overall: Another stunning Hanyu, with wonderful balance. The acidity and sourness was a bit higher than normal, but it was still a wonderful representation for being the oldest Hanyu, and of a Mizunara cask. Time and water sweeten it up a bit more while bringing out a bit more oak and spice.

Hanyu Distillery was located in a town bearing its name on the banks of the Tone river. The original company was founded from a family business originally established in 1626 by the Akuto family, sake-makers in the town of Chichibu. The 19th generation of the Akuto family built a factory in Hanyu city, north-west of Tokyo, in 1941 to produce alcohol and obtained a license to do so in 1946.


In 1980, serious attempts to produce a Scotch whisky-type product began and two pot stills were obtained. At the time, consumer demand was for blended whisky rather than single malt. Since then there has been a worldwide shift towards single malts and in 1990 Chichibu whisky was launched, named after the place where the sake was originally produced. It had two steam-heated stills and a continuous still, along with a Sake brewery.


Unfortunately, it stopped making whisky in 2000, with its pot stills and distilling equipment dismantled in 2004. The grandson of the founder, Ichiro, purchased the mature stock and distilling facilities and hopes one day to start a new distillery. He is now realizing his dream with the creation of the Chichibu Distillery.


<a href="/distilleries/the-hanyu-distillery">Read more about the Hanyu distillery here!</a>