Established in late 2019, Chichibu Distillery II (or Chichibu II) has been a long time coming, and in many ways with just two official releases under its belt within the span of a year, it's on the one hand been more quick paced between releases as compared to its older sibling (Chichibu Distillery, or Chichibu Distillery I), and yet in many ways is so different in so many ways that we're still just getting acquainted with and just in the early innings of really understanding the character of its whiskies.
Now, Chichibu Distillery II was founded a decade after Chichibu Distillery I (and just a short walk away), and of course comes on the back of Chichibu's breakout success and so was certainly built under much more generous conditions with then the benefit of hard earned experience and much more resources. And whilst the goal was of course to expand production so as to meet the ceaseless demand for Chichibu whisky, the second distillery was also designed to bring something new to the table, giving its beloved and deeply respected founder and master blender Ichiro Akuto a much wider palette to paint with. Most notably Chichibu II is fitted out with French oak washbacks (as opposed to Mizunara), with also direct fired distillation (versus steam based indirect heating), along with a general increase in scale across all of its equipment, which is said to ultimately yield a more robust, fuller bodied and fruitier whisky, with also a light smokiness. It's worth noting that Chichibu is already hard at work on its third distillery, Tomakomai Distillery in Hokkaido, which will focus on producing grain whiskies, having just started production in early 2026!
Chichibu Distillery founder Ichiro Akuto looking out from the deck of Chichibu Distillery II.
And so being Chichibu Distillery's second facility, Chichibu II has had also the luxury of time, allowing it to sit on its whiskies for longer before being either blended with that of Chichibu I or bottled for release. This meant that Chichibu II's first debut in 2025 got to be older at the of release, and yet as a departure from Chichibu I (where official releases were fewer and more spaced out), was quickly followed up with a second official release - the Chichibu Distillery II Hint Of Sherry 2026. And so with just two releases out of the second site, it's far from a forgone conclusion as to what the profile of its whiskies are going to be like, though for what it's worth, we did enjoy the first Chichibu Distillery II release very much!
And so with this second release, it is as the name suggests, a hint of Sherry, with the incorporation of Sherry casks used for this expression alongside likely a larger percentage of ex-Bourbon casks, and not much more information volunteered by the distillery. It's then bottled at 53% ABV.
So let's get down to tasting it! Let's go!
Whisky Review: Chichibu II Hint Of Sherry 2026, 53% ABV
Tasting Notes
Colour: Deep Gold
Aroma: Really rich and supple, at once broad and mellow, yet at the same time deep and forward. It opens with warm, confectionary tones of brown sugar and custard, reminiscent of creme brûlée topped with a dusting of cocoa, with then a gentle layer of leather, licorice and burnt brown sugar, almost little herbal and savoury, really closely backing that comforting top note. There’s also an outline of orange peels and lacquered wood. Finally there’s an almost red fruited tartness that peeks out yet resides deeper down, of cherries, red currants, ranging down the gradient to plums and prunes, all mixed in with the herbal brown sugars. It’s really aromatic and expansive, with most prominently creme brûlée topped with red currants. Very delicate hints of rancio.
Taste: Medium-bodied, it’s rich and oily, luscious and almost syrupy even. Brown sugars over custard, tones of creme brûlée, with then those perky red currants along with a deeper cusp of plums and prunes. It’s rich and supple, leaning brighter even with its warmer tone. As the confectionary richness recedes, more earthiness of leather and herbal angelica roots start to show up. There’s a firm but restrained burnt sugar savouriness and herbal roots bitterness that builds into the finish.
Finish: That savouriness and bitterness concentrates here, yet backed up by a whole lot of warm brown sugars that carries it forward. Really quick flashes of burnt orange peels and orange blossoms. Long lingering warmth of brown sugars, tart red currants, with also plums and prunes, a touch of rancio, and finally leather and a medicinal bitterness of herbal roots.
My Thoughts
A really good richness, depth and broadness is what stands out immediately, both in its aromas and on the palate. It's mellow, all encompassing, and yet rather delicate. Despite how luscious and immense it feels, it's also very much delicate and subtle, showcasing so much restraint and finesse. Rather than coming off striking or gripping, it's almost akin to a warm blanket that envelopes the nose and palate, coating it with a warmth and gentleness. The flavours here are singular, very much focused on creme brulee, red currants and black fruit preserves with a herbal and earthy overlay, garnished with light touches of citruses, which coupled with the richness and mellowness of the body, makes for an incredibly comforting and enjoyable whisky that's generous, approachable and accommodating.
Now compared to the first Chichibu Distillery II release, whilst both share this same breadth and luscious richness, it's clear that the Sherry has been more than a hint, it's certainly been coaxed in superbly to the body here, trading out the brighter and more tart orchard fruits with also less of a smokiness this time around. And if this showed quite a difference compared to the second distillery's debut release, then the Chichibu Distillery II Hint Of Sherry is even further apart from anything that Chichibu Distillery I typically produces, with here much more body and richness, with less of those citruses and that characteristic lactic tang and pepperiness, or that occasional barnyard funk for that matter.
Altogether really enjoyable, the Chichibu Distillery II Hint Of Sherry 2026 really hits the spot, is comforting and bodied, with a great rendering of its Sherry casks, and is particularly interesting in how much it is reminiscent of an older style Highland Scotch just with perhaps more of that modern precision and focus.
Kanpai!
@111hotpot
