Salud Spirits, the famed fine spirits distributor in Netherlands and Austria, has been on a roll with their highly sought after Chichibu releases, with past collections such as the Intergalactic collection. Since 2022, Salud has been sequentially releasing each edition of their ongoing 7GODS series which pays homage to the 7 Gods of Japanese folklore.

We're now into the 6th release, with the Daikokuten edition, featuring a 9 Year Old Chichibu that's been aged in 2nd Fill Bourbon Barrels, made with heavily peated malt, that was distilled in 2015 and bottled in 2024 at 61.9% ABV, with an outturn of just 187 bottles in total. This comes from Chichibu Cask #4664.

Official Tasting Notes

Nose: A layer of peat with a hint of hay forms the base. Slowly the fruit appears, starting with lemon. This is followed by spicy notes of coriander and a floral touch. Finally, peaches, oranges and a hint of vanilla appear.

Taste: Peat again, with a delicious blend of vanilla, oranges and peaches. Then comes a touch of coriander, followed by minerals, licorice and black pepper.

Finish: Medium to long, with a seductive combination of peat, juicy peaches, creamy vanilla, fresh oranges and a hint of black pepper.

Daikokuten represents the the God of commerce and prosperity, and is also thought to be the patron of cooks, farmers and bankers, as well as a protector of crops and a demon hunter - that's alot of jobs! One legend has it that Daikokuten hung a sacred talisman on the branch of a tree in his garden, setting a trap for a demon he was about to catch. Daikokuten can be recognised by his big smile, short legs, and a hat on his head, with usually a bag full of valuables.

As has been the tradition with the 7GODS series, this comes with a digitally produced label from the studio WARBB, founded by digital artist Robbin Snijders.

In celebration of this 6th release, an exclusive dinner will be held at Restaurant de Rozario from Helmond. The dinner will feature various Chichibu expressions bottled for Salud, and also accompany a sneak peek of some of the special releases to come in 2025. The Japanese ambassador will also be in Netherlands for the event, marking the special occasion. 

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team