Chichibu Ichiro's Malt Paris Edition 2024 - Meiji Jingu Gate vs Triumph Arch (black label)

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 50.5% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

The Paris Edition 2024 connects Tokyo and Paris through six label designs printed on traditional Japanese washi paper. On the black label, the Meiji Jingu Gate is paired with the Arc de Triomphe. The labels differ in design, but the whisky inside the bottles is the same.

Ichiro Akuto composed this single malt from 15 casks: twelve former bourbon casks, two Chibidaru quarter casks and one former red wine cask. The whiskies had matured for an average of six to seven years. In the smaller quarter casks, the interior wood surface is greater in relation to the volume of liquid than in standard bourbon casks. This choice broadens the possibilities for maturation without attributing particular aromas definitively to either the red wine cask or the Chibidaru casks.

The entire edition comprises 2,484 bottles. The whisky was bottled in 2024 at 50.5%, without added colour or chill filtration. Its character ranges from exotic fruit and vanilla through earthy and herbal notes to coconut, candied pear and delicate spice, with a light hint of peat providing contrast.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, a light hint of peat meets lemon, menthol and vanilla. With a little air, banana and pineapple emerge, while verbena and bay leaf add herbal freshness.
• Palate: On the palate, the whisky opens with dry grass, hay and pepper. Damp earth lends depth before toasted bread, chestnuts and dried fruit such as dates appear.
• Finish: The long, full and balanced finish begins with coconut milk. Candied pear and rosemary follow, before cardamom, clove and fresh ginger bring a spicy close. A delicate hint of peat and vanilla also lingers.

Distillery/Bottler:

Ichiro Akuto founded Venture Whisky in 2004 and launched the Ichiro's Malt brand in 2005. His Chichibu Distillery has been producing whisky in Saitama Prefecture since 2008. Its production methods include fermentation vessels made from Japanese Mizunara oak. For the Paris Edition 2024, Akuto composed a single malt for La Maison du Whisky from whiskies produced at Chichibu Distillery; it was released as an official bottling.

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