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2018 Ichiros Malt Chichibu The Peated 10th Anniversary Cask Strength Single Malt Japanese Whisky (700ml)

JAPAN
$699. 00
Bottle
$8388.00 Dozen
ABV: 55.5%
"The Peated" is one in a fairly recent series of super smokey expressions from Ichiro Akuto at the Chichibu Distillery which opened in 2008. Bottled in 2018, the phenols weigh in at a whopping 49 ppm! Stylistically, it's been compared to Ardbeg. 11,550 bottles produced. 55.5% Alc./Vol.

Jim Murray's review on the 2015 bottling "Had I tasted this blind, I would have mistaken it for an Islay... Quite sublimely made malt. 95 points

Other reviews... Colour: white wine. Nose: raw smoked wood and then sour mash, brine, cow stable, kelp, and a shovelful of damp earth – or autumn leaves. Some fresh almonds too. With water: drier, earthier, with some damp beach sand and simply seawater. Mouth (neat): very good, vertical, and quite Ardbeggian. Lemon and smoke, a touch of vanilla, a little brine (gherkin brine), and touches of rooty earth. I’d have said Ardbeg Ten at high strength. With water: even better. I remember an excellent official Ardbeg 1990 C/S that was like this. Finish: very long, very clean and well-chiselled, on peat and lemon. Comments: absolutely excellent. Hope it won’t be too expensive!
89 points - Serge Valentin, whiskyfun.com