Cuvée presentation
Offered by Chichibu
This year, the Japanese distillery Chichibu is unveiling a tribute series comprising four exceptional single casks. For this edition, the bottles are inspired by the monumental world of Kazumasa Nagai (1929–2026), a leading figure in modern graphic design both in Japan and internationally.
Renowned for blending modernism with Japanese traditions, the artist has left a lasting mark on visual history through his poetic vision of life. The four selected whiskies resonate with his legendary LIFE series, a project dedicated to Earth's environment and life, which he began working on in the late 1980s. Standing as one of the final testaments to Nagai's expressive power, this vision is brought to the fore through a dialogue with Chichibu's artisanal expertise.
The lot being offered at auction is an entirely unique collection, a complete work of art celebrating the memory of its creator:
- Four exceptional bottles: comprising bottle #1 from each of the four single casks, adorned for the occasion with exclusive labels in a monochrome gold, derived from the designs in the “Les Anthologistes” Création catalogue.
- Four original signed silkscreen prints: from the iconic LIFE series and created in 2002, these works were produced in an extremely limited edition. They are signed by Kazumasa Nagai and are presented in a large, traditional Japanese poster format (728 x 1030mm) that is truly exceptional, and extremely rare in Europe.
- Four original framed labels: featuring the original colour visuals from the ‘Création’ catalogue, showcased in bespoke 84 x 84mm frames.
Bringing together historic pieces that will never be reproduced, this lot represents the pinnacle of Japanese craftsmanship and contemporary art. Its heritage value, tribute to a master of design, and the absolute rarity of the bottles make this collection one of the most precious and exclusive items ever assembled for a Chichibu auction.
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.
Report a problem with this lot ? Report
