Chichibu's by now have done the decades-long backbreaking effort of cementing its status as one of Japan's premier whisky producers - it's quality is assured and the consistency of which is itself quite the marvel. With Chichibu you know it's more or less going to be incredibly enjoyable, with each single cask pulling at the core Chichibu signature profile to showcase something just slightly different than the next.

Yet, we can't ever get away from the classic profile done right - which many have claimed is one that's aged in ex-Bourbon and aged just slightly under 10 years old - well, thank the Japanese Gods of Fortune, because we've got one of them with us.

Lieke and Maurice, who together operate Salud.

Salud Spirits, which is a major distributor in Austria and the Netherlands, has always had good relations with the foremost Japanese craft whisky producer, Chichibu, having taken a bet on them early and giving Chichibu a presence in Europe in its earlier days. In turn, Salud has always had top pick of Chichibu casks, and an enviable number of these casks I should add - something that you don't get to have just waltzing into the distillery (in fact, you need a special tour arranged to visit Chichibu Distillery for that matter). And so as we've emphasised time and again, the value of a distributor or bottler is its relationships with the distilleries. This is incredibly important (read: the most important) when it comes to the quality of the spirit. It's something money can't buy.

Have you ever tried walking into Chichibu and asking for a single cask? Try asking for seven.

And so years after that relationship has been cemented between Salud and Chichibu, the distributor has since began to reap what it sowed in the form of a series of Chichibu's bottled solely for Salud - this is the 7EVEN Gods of Fortune series which pays homage to a key aspect of Japan's folklore. Each edition in the series is named after one of these gods and comes designed by a selected graphic design studio.

Today we've got an 8 Year Old Chichibu single cask, distilled in 2015 and made with Odyssey barley, aged in a 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel, bottled at 61% ABV. It's the 5th in the series and pays homage to the god Fukurokuju, who is associated with longevity. The very trippy image on the label featuring Fukurokuju was designed by WARBB studios.

Let's give this a go! 

Chichibu 2015, 8 Years Old, Fukurokuju 5th Edition of 7EVEN Gods of Fortune Series, Salud Spirits, 61% ABV - Review

Tasting Notes

Colour: Light Gold

Aroma: It opens to a floral bouquet of honeysuckle, white chrysanthemums and frangipani, before the tropical fruits begin to emerge - barely ripe bananas with just the last tones of green, yet to ripe pineapples and toss in some green mangoes too. With time we're getting onto sweet, biscuit flavours - sugar butter cookies, sweet biscuits and sugared cornflakes. Wafting about are some freshly sliced apples, backed by some gentle drizzles of clover honey. It eventually firms up to oat porridge boiled in milk and topped with condensed milk.

Taste: Noticeably brighter here than the nose would suggest. It's still rather sweet, with some lemon curds and lemon meringue pie, as well as some carbonated apple juice. Artisanal wholemeal bread as well, the sort with a slight chew on the cereal bran, accompanied by a pillowy base of soft white bread. It's giving buttered toast with a sprinkle of sugar on top, as well as caramel and buttery brioche all at once. Getting past the confectionary flavours, there's an accent of mint and mint chewables. It's medium-bodied with a good punchiness and intensity to the flavours that produces something vibrant and rich at the same time.

Finish: A real satisfying creaminess here - more of that cooked oat porridge, rice pudding and even soyabean curd. Past the creamy pudding flavours, we're on to more cereals with wheat, toasted oats and flaked nuts, with a side of sourdough crust. Into the finish, the mintiness grows leaving a gentle but tasty menthol note at the end.

My Thoughts

A really nuanced Chichibu that showcases a whole lot of depth. It's bright and leans into those confectionary and cereal flavours, taking us on a real exploration of that side of the spectrum with such detail and definition. Thinking about its evolution from those white blossoms on the nose to the milky and sweet richness on the palate feels like such a trip. The entirety of the experience feels like a bus ride through the countryside - it's light-hearted yet feels like you've just forgot the time and hours have just gone by.

What I enjoyed most was the cereal and bread-y flavours that were incredibly tasty and satisfying, and actually played a the good role of anchoring the whisky and keeping it grounded as those sweet flavours just lift you up, along with the bright and zingy fruit (plus that mint!). And despite its complexity, it remains very approachable and is quite the crowdpleaser no matter the crowd. A summertime whisky that seals the deal.

Kanpai!

@111hotpot