Recent Release: Chichibu 2009-2014 OB for Whisky Talk 2014

This time as well, the unique cask usage resulted in a distinctive flavor. Chichibu CHICHIBU 2009-2014 OB for Whisky Talk 2014 60.2% one of 225 bottles, 1st: first fill barrel, 2nd: third fill barrel The aroma features spirit, grappa, lime, kiwi, young calvados, chamomile, a sharp and strong barley note, tasty grappa, grape notes of young cognac, chamomile, good woodiness, and a clean finish. [Good/Very Good, Interesting] The Whisky Talk event held annually in Fukuoka, the Chichibu 2009 bottling was released for last year's event. A similar release of the same vintage was also made in 2013. As with last year's release, this is a bottle that uses an unusual cask aging method, moving from first fill to third fill barrels - something rarely seen elsewhere. I didn't expect the same type of bottling this year either. As with last year, a strong grappa-like nuance was clearly present in both aroma and flavor, more so than malt. There were also notes reminiscent of young cognac, giving it a slightly more complex feel than last year's release. I had thought that last year's bottling was made because it happened to be interesting, but apparently that wasn't the case. Even with young malts, there are unique nuances not felt at other distilleries, which I found very interesting.