Chichibu 7yo Adelphi
Japanese Single Malt | 57.8% ABV
Score: 8/10
Something special.
TL;DR
Slightly under-ripe grilled pineapple in a glass
“For its Age…”
Could this be the worst qualifier you could give a whisky?
Like many enthusiasts, I was giddy as a myriad of new distilleries started releasing liquid over the last few years. Daftmill blew me away with its early 10-12 year olds, and I dove into the deep end of younger releases as they appeared from the likes of Kilchoman, Bimber, Lindores Abbey, Ardnamurchan, Raasay, Kingsbarns, Milk & Honey, Wire Works, and more. I had great fun with them, and even had a birthday tasting at one of them.
As I merrily skipped along the young distillery road, however, when I really focused, I was increasingly caveating my positive experiences with “…for its age.”
I couldn’t believe how fruity it was, “for its age”. A stunning dram “for its age”. Because the reality was, most of the bottles I tried - I’m talking about three, four or five years old - were still rough around the edges. Good for casual drinking, but not so desirable for the contemplative geek.
Then I started trying some young distilleries that I really just didn’t like. A young Island-based distillery cask tasting left me… underwhelmed. A hot-climate, youthful lineup from another world whisky distillery was not doing it for me either.
Then, in true epiphany style, I woke up one morning and realised I had dozens of unopened bottles that I simply didn’t want to drink. Questioning the validity of my concerns, I did a bottle share of a few that merely confirmed my realisation. And so, in one fell swoop, nearly my entire lot of sub-six year old whisky was off to auction. These young distilleries had given me a good ride, but I was tired of paying high prices for bottles that still required caveats to enjoy.
So I became a snob. “No more new distilleries until they’re ten!”, I told myself. They just weren’t good enough. Some friends encouraged me to try a much-lauded new English distillery. “It’s beautiful” a friend said. And indeed, very good! For its age.
This snobbery continued until the London Whisky Show in 2023, when I tried a wide variety of Ardnamurchans and Adelphi bottlings. They poured a sample of the very Chichibu I’m reviewing today, and it stopped me in my tracks.
Like a record scratch when you enter a party uninvited. It was one of the top drams of the day, and there wasn’t a hint of youthful regret. In truth, I had been very impressed by a couple of Chichibu single casks I had tried before, but my prior derogatory “epiphany” had tainted my recollection.
After the Whisky Show I put this Chichibu on my radar, and snagged one at auction for an objectively high price for the stats, but still reasonable for a Chichibu single cask and, in my opinion, a deal for the flavour intensity and quality.
I’ve already spoiled the review by telling you that I love the bottle, but you’ve already seen the score, so it’s not a surprise anyway. Looking back on my harsh critique of uber-young releases from new distilleries, I don’t think I was wrong in my sentiments about the bottles I tasted. But I do think that applying a blanket judgement clearly wasn’t quite right either. I look to the future with cautious optimism, even if with continued patience for slightly older age statements from many.
Review
Chichibu 7yo, Adelphi Selection, 2013 vintage, bottled 2022, cask number #3090, 57.8% ABV
£230 paid at auction
This is stated as seven years old, but there were nine years between birth and bottling because it spent some time in a neutral container before the 2022 bottling.
Score: 8/10
Something special.
TL;DR
Slightly under-ripe grilled pineapple in a glass
Nose
Quite fruity upfront, with honeydew melon, white grapes, vanilla bean, and dried pineapple. Underripe white peach.
Palate
Big pineapple, green apple, pickled ginger, and then sweet peppered and grilled pineapple. Luscious and full. Finish oscillates between sweet and slightly sour, where I expect a touch of youth enters the fray.
The Dregs
This is very good. Slightly acerbic, yet undeniably fresh, fruity, and bold. Water adds depth, and I have no qualms saying this is very good without a hint of ageism. It does not carry the subtleties and slightly rounded edges that old malt can bring, but I enjoy this ‘as is’. And it grows and expands with water and time.
When it comes to price, I will admit that these Chichibu single casks are quite pricey and doubly so at secondary. Without hesitation this is the most complex young whisky I’ve ever had, though it still drinks like a very fruity and good first-fill bourbon dram, rather than a subtle older refill bourbon cask. Regardless, I place this slightly above the flavour of the entirety of the Glentauchers tasting I did recently here. So that says something.
I’m glad I bought this, and I’m glad I’ve got a couple of other ex-bourbon Chichibus in the cupboard; but I’m not looking to buy any more at these prices. I do recommend giving them a chance.
Score: 8/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. IG
-
Dramface is free.
Its fierce independence and community-focused content is funded by that same community. We don’t do ads, sponsorships or paid-for content. If you like what we do you can support us by becoming a Dramface member for the price of a magazine.
However, if you’ve found a particular article valuable, you also have the option to make a direct donation to the writer, here: buy me a dram - you’d make their day. Thank you.
For more on Dramface and our funding read our about page here.
