Chichibu Wine Wood Reserve Ichiro's Malt 46% NV

Professional reviews

Gal Granov (86)

Nose: A lot of red wine in the nose – that’s for sure. Spicy too with a certain nutty or marzipan feel to it and even coconut which is a rather unique combination. Licorice and star anise with red berries and crushed pepper

Palate: Hot and spicy on the entry with a nice sweetness, some dried figs and not too much wine over here. And the fruity side shines through. Red berries , chilly.on the second wave the tannins kick in and the grape peel and wine is felt more strongly. Some milk chocolate and cocoa too.

Finish : Pepper and chilly. Red wine. Tannins. Dark chocolate. Hints of berries and some smoky note too.

Conclusion:

A very nice whisky, with not too much wine influence, sometimes it resembles a sherry cask (dried fruit, figs etc).

Whisky Notes (87)

Nose: initially very vinous indeed, like a Bordeaux finish. This leads to black cherries, blackberry jam, yellow apples. Hints of violets and toffee. A little chocolate. Black liquorice. Also a certain leathery or fragrant side (oriental spices). Mouth: going further on baked apples and blackberries. Caramel coated nuts, plenty of peppery notes, cinnamon and a touch of anise. The wine is still very obvious, with light tannins, but certainly not overdone. Finish: medium, on sweet wine and chocolate, with drying spices in the very end.

Japanese whisky with a strong wine impact, but within this category quite successful (I often have trouble with red wine finishes). Well done.

BOW (87)