Ichiro’s Malt & Grain World Whisky

Classification: World Whisky – Blend of 4 countries
Distillery: Chichibu
Mashbill: Blend of Japanese single malt and malt and grain whiskies from Scotland, Ireland, and the U.S.
Age: Each whisky is aged in it’s respective country of origin before being sent to the Chichibu distillery for further maturation. 
Proof: 93
700ml bottle

At first sniff, this dram plays shy. Fresh, delicate, almost like it’s too polite to make eye contact. But hang around a bit and it warms up — vanilla, coconut, flowers, pears, lemons. Give it more time and suddenly you’ve walked into a farmers’ market: floral honey, and bananas.

On the palate, it’s creamy and easy-going — pears, vanilla, toffee, kiwi, and honey. Then just when you’re thinking, “Oh, this is smooth” (yes, the forbidden word), the spices show up late to the party with pink peppercorns, ginger, and cinnamon, making sure you don’t get too comfortable.

The finish lingers with bananas and vanilla, while those spices take the spotlight and keep things interesting.

At first, I thought this was going to be one of those forgettable blends that gets described with polite nods and “nice nose.” But no — give it a little time, and it unfolds like a Netflix show that seems boring at first but then hooks you three episodes in. Not overly complicated, but plenty of twists, and enough spice to keep you coming back for another pour. A dram with patience… and a sense of humor.