Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Continuing Success: Chichibu - The Peated 2013


Chichibu, Japan’s newest distillery to date continues its developments with the release of The Peated 2013. This second peaty Chichibu release retains all the artisanal qualities as the first release (2012) however; the difference lays in the PPM - a welcoming malted barley phenol level of 59.6 Phenol Parts per Million (PPM). This means that up until now the malt used for this release has the highest phenol measurement for the distillery. Casks used for maturing it consisted of bourbon, re-fill hogshead, puncheon, and port pipe - allowing Akuto-san to create a perfectly balanced and deeply flavoured peaty whisky while retaining the distinctive characteristics of Chichibu.

The 2013 outturn is much higher than its 2012 sibling, a limited release of 6,700 bottles that will apparently be divided between the domestic and foreign market. This higher outturn should allow many more Chichibu enthusiasts the opportunity to secure a bottle depending on your local market and distributors. For those residing in Japan most major department stores along with established liquor shops have began stocking The Peated 2013. The recommended retail price is consistent with all most all other Chichibu releases (with the exception of The First) at 8,500 yen (excluding tax). There are still good things to come from Chichibu - let’s wait and see.

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