2022 Ichiro's Malt Chichibu The US Edition Single Malt Whisky 750ml

2022 Ichiro's Malt Chichibu The US Edition is the fifth annual release in the Chichibu Distillery's US-exclusive series — a cask-strength single malt vatted by founder Ichiro Akuto specifically for the American market, a tradition that began in 2018. Each edition is a one-time selection from the tiny Saitama distillery's warehouses, and each has become a collector's marker in the story of modern Japanese whisky.

The 2022 vatting was bottled at 53.5% ABV (107 proof) without chill filtration, additives, or coloring, in a run of 2,233 bottles. Fermented in mizunara washbacks, distilled on two small Forsyth pot stills, and matured through Chichibu's extreme continental seasons — scorching summers, freezing winters — it carries the concentration of an uncut bottling with the growing maturity of the distillery's stock.

The nose offers rich malt, honey, and orchard fruit with delicate floral notes and a hint of cask spice. The palate is smooth and creamy — stone fruit, vanilla, barley sugar, and gentle oak — leading to a long, elegant finish with a touch of pepper.

Celebrated for its complexity and balance, the 2022 edition is an essential piece for collectors following the US Edition series year by year. Sip neat, with a few drops of water.

• Size: 750ml
• Proof: 107 (53.5% ABV) — cask strength
• Age: No age statement
• Origin: Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, Japan
• Distillery: Chichibu Distillery (Venture Whisky)
• Style/Class: Single Malt Japanese Whisky, non-chill-filtered, natural color
• Release: 2022 US Edition — fifth in the series; 2,233 bottles
• Tasting Notes: Rich malt, honey, orchard fruit, florals, stone fruit, vanilla, barley sugar, gentle oak, pepper