A new little Japan Special session


October 10, 2024

A new little 'Japan Special' session
(Or more of the best of the best of Japanese whisky)

Shizuoka (Shizuoka)

We had a great time with the new Yamazakis last time; for us, it was almost like a resurrection after a period dominated by soulless yet pricey NAS whiskies. In any case, today we're moving on to other distilleries, making sure to taste only 100% Japanese whisky, of course. Yeah, right...

The Nikka ‘Nine Decades’ (48%, OB, 90th Anniversary Limited, premium blended whisky, 2024)

Well, this prestigious blend does set things off on the right foot, though it isn't entirely Japanese, as it contains Ben Nevis in addition to Yoichi, Miyagikyo, and a few other lesser-known distilleries. But, given that Ben Nevis is owned by Nikka and we're rather fond of Ben Nevis, there's no disappointment here. Rumour has it that the oldest component dates back to the 1940s (Yoichi 1945), meaning that the youngest would be from the 2020s (nine decades, see?). So, technically, it’s a very young whisky. But as always, it’s all about proportion and balance, isn't it? Colour: deep gold. Nose: well, they’ve inadvertently bottled a concoction of grand dark honeys—chestnut, heather, manuka, fir—enhanced with just a dash of maple syrup, fine molasses, and pine bud liqueur. Add to that beeswax, furniture polish, chestnut cream, and toffee. It's flawless in every way (and yes, do save the bees!). Mouth: a masterstroke. Rarely has a decidedly woody whisky been so delicious without relying heavily on a sherry kick. A marvellous blend of nuts, pistachios, almonds, pecans, with notes of black tea and cigar tobacco. It stays firmly within the realm of an old English club, without veering into the meaty or gamey territory found elsewhere (which we quite like too, by the way). Finish: rather long, balanced, almost fresh, with a focus on tobacco. Hints of mint and fir resin appear towards the end, followed by a note of orangettes as a final flourish. Comments: this doesn’t seem to be one of those NAS blends that merely flaunt an old component (like a cheeky 1928) but are actually quite young on average. There really is a significant amount of very old whisky in here. Oh, and save the bees!
SGP:562 - 92 points.

That’s a strong start… Well, while we're at it…

Ichiro’s ‘World Blended Malt Whisky vol.4’ (57%, OB, for The Ultimate Spirits by Rudder, 3rd fill bourbon barrel, cask #15090, 260 bottles, 2023)

Indeed, this is a true 'world' blend, not a pure Chichibu. Colour: pale gold. Nose: it's very natural and fresh, with lovely notes of morning bread, brioche, and fougasse, accompanied by just a hint of white nougat and a drop of lemon liqueur. There’s also a whisper of star anise and candied fruits, including a touch of coconut that hints at the grain. With water: becomes even more in tune with Nature, the kind that would have pleased both Rousseau and Hume. Well, quite. Some metal polish notes emerge after about 10 minutes. Mouth (neat): it's the young malt that's calling the shots here. There are touches of very malty beer, seeded bread (poppy, sesame), spelt, barley syrup, a bit of lemon, and a hint of grass. With water: delightful herbal teas, hay, barley, grist, and bread notes. Finish: though it's a 3rd fill, I do find a trace of fresh wood (snapped branch), along with a touch of smoke. Comments: an excellent blend, perhaps just a tad reserved.
SGP:351 - 85 points.

Ichiro’s Malt & Grain World Blended Whisky (60%, OB, for Chichibu Matsuri 2024, refill peated barrel, cask #14841, 254 bottles, 2024)

Now, this gets a bit tricky and almost circuitous, not to mention tautological—a blend bottled, it seems, for one’s own festival (but the Scots do that all the time). Colour: white wine. Nose: not vastly different from others, a touch rounder, leaning more towards the grain, with coconut and even a hint of pineapple. Chamomile and said fougasse make an appearance. With water: flour, rainwater, sourdough, cake, and fresh herbs. The grain elements become more subdued. Mouth (neat): livelier on the palate, with lemon, fresh herbs, lime zest, and a nod to Jamaican white rum. Rather to my liking, that. With water: the lemony aspect shines beautifully, with a touch of fine green tea, the kind you savour from tiny teapots. We're not talking about pu-ehr here. Finish: of medium length, more on the side of those delicate lemon biscuits they make south of the Alps (and in Corsica too!). Comments: to be honest, I didn't detect much peat, though I must admit I wasn’t particularly hunting for it. For a young blend, it’s quite fantastic.
SGP:452 - 86 points.

Chichibu 9 yo 2015/2024 ‘7even Gods of Fortune Edition 5 Fukurokuju’ (61%, OB, 1st fill bourbon barrel, cask #4577, 188 bottles)

Sunglasses might be needed to fully appreciate the label (just joking, folks!). Colour: straw. Nose: the immaculate purity of a great Chichibu. Honestly, one could stop right there. Lemon, apple, clay, barley, fresh bread, and roots—all in perfect proportions. Basta cosi. With water: it becomes more herbal, more austere, chalkier, almost closing up like an oyster. Mouth (neat): I simply adore this. Fat yet zesty, soft yet spicy, with superlative citrus notes. And then there's the barley, holding it all together. With water: sublime, with a touch of honey emerging, adding kindness and softness. We could all use a bit of that, couldn’t we? Finish: long, balanced on the thread that runs from barley to honey, passing through citrus along the way. Comments: you can’t do better at 9 years old. A Chichibu that’s positively Mozartian. I know, one shouldn’t rate a whisky of this age above 90, but here we are.
SGP:561 - 91 points.

Chichibu ‘On The Way 2024’ (54.5%, OB, Floor Malted, 1,200 bottles)

They’ve put together a self-blend of ex-bourbon, ex-wine, and ex-Chibidaru (probably refill Chichibu, I’d wager). I find it a bit odd to go to the trouble of using floor-malted barley only to rest some of it in wine casks, but let’s move on—they surely know what they’re doing. Colour: pale gold. Nose: much rounder than the last one, fruitier, more pastry-like, easier overall, yet still excellent. There’s a lovely, slightly earthy touch and a hint of Chardonnay—though I doubt they’ve actually used Chardonnay casks. With water: notes of bread and oatcakes, snapped branches, and fresh bark. Mouth (neat): of course, it’s very good. Fresh oak makes itself quite known, then comes apple, lemon, grey and green peppers, and twigs. With water: deliciously lively, lemony, with green apple and that familiar honeyed touch emerging. A hint of rather sweet carrot as well. Finish: long, even softer despite the presence of lemon and spices. Comments: you’re quite right, really, we should save the single casks for last.
SGP:561 - 88 points.

Chichibu ‘Paris Edition 2024’ (50.5%, OB, for La Maison du Whisky, 2,484 bottles)

As always, the labels are superb, with several variations featuring iconic Parisian landmarks. In this case, it's Notre-Dame, which is nearly fully restored now. That said, this edition includes wine casks, specifically red wine. While it’s true that Paris and red wine are a classic pairing, one might still question the use of these casks for a distillery of ‘Grand Cru’ calibre. It makes sense for a distillery in the third tier of Speyside, but for one of the top 20 in the world? Colour: pale gold. Nose: thankfully, there are no overpowering notes of raspberry, crushed strawberries, or blackcurrant jelly. Instead, it’s fresh barley, pralines, brioche, raisin rolls, mild ale, pink grapefruit, celery, beetroot, and a very light smoke. With water: we enter a realm of damp earth, fallen leaves, potting soil, fresh croissants, and blueberry muffins. Mouth (neat): but of course it’s very good. Lovely bitterness, hints of bell pepper, roots, sweet breads, raisins, honey cookies… It’s even quite charming. With water: now it’s perfect. A nice vegetal smoke—almost like a garden bonfire—and a few currants. Finish: medium length, round, and ultimately quite approachable. Comments: I thought a few times that it might go off track, but it recovered with the agility of a well-driven vintage 911. You know what I mean.
SGP:651 - 89 points.

Chichibu 10 yo 2013/2024 (64.4%, OB, LMDW Foundations, 2nd fill bourbon barrel, cask #3079, 140 bottles)

With this one, anything is possible. Colour: straw. Nose: illegal, streng verboten. It’s not just the high ABV, it’s also the extreme abstraction of the aroma profile, purely on fresh bread and green apple. Any simpler, and it would just be a grain of barley, but of course, we love it. With water: crushed slate, green pepper, green apple, then sublime yeasts, extraordinary fresh breads, and dazzling beers… I adore it when the raw ingredients shine through like this. Mouth (neat): (a bit apprehensive) … Absolute perfection, so simple, so obvious. Cereals, apple, earth, lemon, amen. With water: give up, it’s perfection itself, almost to the point of being boring - of course we're joking. The most perfect lemon you could imagine. Finish: long, sharp as a sword, yet as enveloping as a velvet cape (what?). Young wood, leek, green pear, asparagus, and a drop of olive oil right at the end. Comments: everything in here is beautiful, it’s like a late Matisse.
SGP:551 - 92 points.

We still have quite a bit of Chichibu left, but I'm not sure it would hold up at this stage. We'll probably finish with a different distillery instead...

Shizuoka 'Pot Still W imported barley 2024 Edition' (55.5%, OB)

From the wood-fired still, no less. We were quite enamoured with the 2022 edition, which had a certain abstract simplicity about it (WF 89). The mash bill here piques the curiosity, comprising 70% peated malt from Scotland, 20% unpeated Scottish malt, and 10% German brewing malt. And there it is, listed on Amazon Japan… must resist! Colour: pale gold. Nose: right, let’s set dramazon aside and focus. We’ve got apricots bathed in lightly salted honey, with a delicate, vegetal smokiness—garden bonfire, if you will—then fresh panettone, followed by hints of grenadine and orgeat syrup, which make it all the more approachable. With water: ashy notes appear, along with a touch of fruity glue (think of the kind from school days). Mouth (neat): significantly peatier on the palate, with a more massive presence; there’s a green, oily smoke reminiscent of capsicum, bell pepper, and very salty seaweed. It really shifts gears here. With water: it all comes together, the apricots and peaches return without the smoke diminishing one bit. Finish: long and very saline. Comments: quite the journey, this one! We’re loving Shizuoka, which seems completely unfazed by the waning novelty effect that’s caught up with so many other newer distilleries in recent years. Not all newcomers manage that, unfortunately!
SGP:655 - 89 points.

Very soon, many more Chichibus, Shizuoka, Kanosuke, Mars, Ontake... Stay tuned!

(Arigato¯, Bert and KC)

Check the index of all Japanese whiskies we've tasted so far