Cuvée presentation
Donated by Chichibu
In 2024, Japanese distillery Chichibu released a new series of four single casks distilled between 2013 and 2016. Two of them offer a different interpretation of peat: via peated malted barley or ex-Peated cask maturation. As for the other two, they encourage us to compare classic ageing in bourbon casks through one of the oldest single casks offered by the young distillery with ageing in wine barrels from the prestigious Grand Puy Lacoste estate. The labels of the bottles, adorned with geometric patterns, were designed by Kunihiko Moriguchi, born in 1941. Designated a Living National Treasure, the artist extensively reinvented the Japanese tradition of Yuzen, a three-hundred-year-old fabric dyeing technique reserved for ceremonial kimonos. His unique approach made the kimono into a contemporary work of art rooted in a centuries-old heritage. Pieces made by Kunihiko Moriguchi are collected by people of note across the world, as well as by museums and galleries. In the world of design, Kunihiko Moriguchi has worked with the French fine jeweller house Van Cleef & Arpels and the Atelier de Sèvres. The new series from Chichibu thus pays homage to this art which continues to fascinate with its timeless beauty and exceptional expertise and skill on display.
This lot is unique in its category because it includes bottle #1 of each of the four single casks, signed by Kunihiko Moriguchi and Ichiro Akuto, the master distiller at Chichibu. The four original artistic designs (8 cm x 8 cm) complete this exceptional lot. They have been signed by the artist and framed in a specific format (H 25 cm x L 18.5 cm x W 1.5 cm), each estimated to be worth over 4,000 euros. There's no doubt that tasting these outstanding whiskies in the presence of the original works will create a truly captivating harmony.
The distillery Chichibu
Japan, Saitama. Distillery operational. Owner: Venture Whisky.
Independent & family-ownedIt was in 2007 that Ichiro Akuto, grandson of the founder of the Hanyu distillery, built a new distillery in the north-west of Tokyo, in Saitama Prefecture. Named Chichibu, it brought to a close several decades marked by the closure of numerous production sites, and enabled Ichiro Akuto to renew his family's history of expertise. Despite its small size (production capacity of 80,000 LPA/yr), Chichibu quickly drew attention and became highly sought-after. It was under the name “New Born” that Ichiro sold exclusively his malt for three years. In 2011, the first edition of a small batch Chichibu named The First was released (7,400 bottles). It was immediately welcomed by distributors and the world's whisky enthusiasts, putting Chichibu on the fast-track to becoming a distillery with strong potential as a collectible. Since then, Ichiro has released numerous single casks to respond to consumer demand, increasing the distillery's appeal among collectors.
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