2018 Ichiro's Malt Chichibu The US Edition Single Malt Whisky 750ml

2018 Ichiro's Malt Chichibu The US Edition Single Malt Whisky is a cask strength 112.8 proof (56.4% ABV) Japanese single malt from Chichibu Distillery in Saitama, released as the first Ichiro's Malt single malt blended specifically for the United States market. Just 1,235 bottles were produced, making this 750ml release one of the scarcest American-market Japanese whiskies of its year and one of three market-exclusive editions Chichibu created in 2018, alongside London and Paris counterparts.

Founder Ichiro Akuto assembled the edition from five casks: four ex-bourbon barrels and a single hogshead fitted with Mizunara oak heads, the rare Japanese oak prized for its sandalwood and incense character. Each cask was hand-selected with the American palate in mind. The component whiskies range from five to six years old, youthful by Scotch standards yet remarkably expressive thanks to Chichibu's intense maturation climate, where hot summers and cold winters accelerate the spirit's dialogue with wood.

Chichibu, founded in 2008 as Japan's first new distillery since the 1970s, works at an artisanal scale, with Mizunara washbacks, hand-managed fermentations and a house style that pays homage to Scottish tradition while pursuing distinctly Japanese refinement. A slight experimental streak runs through it, true to the distillery's reputation. The US Edition captures that balance at full cask strength, delivering layered fruit, malt sweetness and delicate oak spice with the concentration only an uncut bottling provides.

First editions matter, and this is the inaugural US-exclusive Chichibu, the bottling that began an annual tradition continued in subsequent years. With a four-figure bottle count, founder-led blending and Mizunara in the recipe, it checks every box that drives Japanese whisky collecting, and its significance only grows as the series lengthens behind it. Bottle counts this low seldom survive long in circulation, making this a definitive acquisition for collectors of Chichibu and modern Japanese single malts.

• Size: 750ml
• Proof: 112.8 (56.4% ABV, cask strength)
• Age: 5 to 6 years
• Origin: Chichibu, Saitama, Japan
• Distillery: Chichibu Distillery (Venture Whisky)
• Type: Single Malt Japanese Whisky
• Cask: Four ex-bourbon barrels and one hogshead with Mizunara oak heads
• Production: 1,235 bottles
• Series: First US-exclusive Ichiro's Malt edition; one of three 2018 market editions