- Move ~ Arrival
- Seminar: Malt Samurai vs. Hokuka of the World 2024 Festival Bottle Slash
- Blended Scotch 1996 27 Hogshead Band Label
- Lindos 2019-2023 4 Year Fresh Bourbon Barrel
- Dornoch 2019-2024 5 Year Short Refill Rye Cask
- Glenrothes 1998 25 Years Old 1st Phil Oloroso Sherry Quarter Cask
- Secret Islay 2007 15 Year Sherry Hogshead Handwritten
- Asaka 2019-2024 Cabernet Sauvignon Cask
- Kanosuke 2018-2024 Richard Cask
- YA
- Thoughts on the seminar
- Highlander Inn Chichibu
- Asaya store
- Bar Craic
- Miyakawa Night Bazaar
- After that
- YouTube
Move ~ Arrival
I started traveling early in the morning and arrived at Ikebukuro.
I immediately boarded the limited express Laview from Ikebukuro.
It takes about 80 minutes to arrive at Seibu Chichibu from Ikebukuro.
As you can tell from the title, this time I came to Chichibu to participate in the Chichibu Whiskey Festival 2024.
Today is Saturday, February 17th, the day before the Chichibu Whiskey Festival.
Although it was only the day before, the Chichibu Whiskey Festival has already begun, with seminars and the Miyakawa Night Bazaar, which can be called the eve festival.
I arrived in Chichibu on Saturday the previous day, but it seems that foreigners and serious tourists come to Chichibu from around Thursday to enjoy Chichibu's bars and other attractions. .
This time I was lucky enough to be able to stay at a hotel in Chichibu, so I first left my luggage at the hotel.
This time, we will take care of ``Route Inn Hotel Seibu Chichibu Ekimae”.
https://hb.afl.rakuten.co.jp/hgc/1dbf8fad.4a5d8164.1dbf8fae.092c41c8/?pc=httpstravel.rakuten.co.jpHOTEL1345213452.htmlcidtr_af_1632&link_type=hybrid_url&ut=eyJwYWdlIjoiaXRlbSIsInR5cGUiOiJoeWJyaWRfdXJsIiwic2l6ZSI6IjEwMHgxMDAiLCJuYW0iOjEsIm5hbXAiOiJyaWdodCIsImNvbSI6MSwiY29tcCI6ImRvd24iLCJwcmljZSI6MCwiYm9yIjoxLCJjb2wiOjEsImJidG4iOjEsInByb2QiOjAsImFtcCI6ZmFsc2V9
After leaving your luggage,Chintatsu sobaWe will have lunch at ``.
Afterwards, we headed towards Chichibu Station, the event venue, to attend a seminar.
Whiskey events are held every month in various locations, from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south.
I think most whiskey events are just an event for people who aren't interested in whisky.
However, this Chichibu Whiskey Festival is different.
The entire city of Chichibu is showing excitement.
It is even featured on train headmarks like this.
We have arrived near the venue, but since we still have time, we will visit Chichibu Shrine.
Seminar: Malt Samurai vs. Hokuka of the World 2024 Festival Bottle Slash
After visiting Chichibu Shrine,Malt Samurai vs World's Hokuka 2024 Festival Bottle SlashI attended a seminar called ``.
Originally, Mr. Hasumura of Ikebukuro J's bar, also known as Malt Samurai, was supposed to be in charge, but unfortunately he passed away the other day, and Mr. Kawamoto of Cask and Still was in charge in his place.
I pray that his soul may rest in peace.
There were 8 festival bottles this year, 5 of which were Scotch and 3 were Japanese.
At this seminar, you will be able to taste all eight of these wines.
Now, I'll introduce them in the order I drank them.
Blended Scotch 1996 27 Hogshead Band Label
This is a blended whiskey aged for 27 years.
The band label was often released with blended malt, but this year it is blended Scotch, so grain whiskey is also used.
I could feel the base of long-ripened grains, butter, salt, vanilla, cream, and almond tofu.
It is said that all of the constituent whiskeys are made from Highland, with Invergordon as the grain and probably Clynelish as the main malt.
Lindos 2019-2023 4 Year Fresh Bourbon Barrel
This is a bottle aged for 4 years in bourbon barrels.
I felt grass, animality, vanilla, woody, banana and sweetness.
Rather than looking for individual flavors, he said it's a good idea to take a step back and look at the drink from a bird's-eye view.
Not only is it delicious, but it's also attractive for its low price of 10,000 yen for single cask strength.
Dornoch 2019-2024 5 Year Short Refill Rye Cask
This is a Highland distillery run by a bottler company called Thompson Brothers.
This is a bottle aged for 5 years in short refill rye casks.
There is an unfamiliar word called "short refill", but it seems that the barrels will be used by another bottling company for about six months, and then used for Dornoch.
It was a very interesting bottle with cumin, leather, honey lemon, ginger, radler, and a clear passion fruit finish.
The flavor is due to the fact that it is fermented for 7 days using ale yeast that has been used to make beer.
Glenrothes 1998 25 Years Old 1st Phil Oloroso Sherry Quarter Cask
This is a bottle aged for 25 years in Oloroso Quarter.
Real sherry is used, so it has a strong sherry that reminds me of coffee or chocolate, and I felt an earthy aftertaste.
It's delicious but only 40,000 yen. .
Secret Islay 2007 15 Year Sherry Hogshead Handwritten
This bottle is aged for 15 years in sherry hogshead and is a secret Islay, but like last year it is said to be a popular distillery in southern Islay.
Well, it's Lagavulin.
I felt a heavy feeling, iodine, berry fruitiness, and raisins in the aftertaste.
It had a similar impression to Silence Bar's 35th anniversary Secret Aira released at the end of last year.
In other words, it's delicious.
Asaka 2019-2024 Cabernet Sauvignon Cask
This is a Cabernet Sauvignon cask, so it was distilled in red wine barrels in 2019 and bottled in 2024.
I found custard, vanilla, a touch of tannin, berries, cream, orange, citrus pith, and tart cranberry.
Although it was a red wine barrel, I could only feel a little tannin, but I didn't feel anything unpleasant about it.
Kanosuke 2018-2024 Richard Cask
This bottle was distilled in 2018 and aged in 2024 in Richard's Cask, which was aged in barrels used for shochu.
Honey, spices and melon!
It really gave the impression of a berry melon.
It is said that this fruity flavor comes out by aging it for over 5 years in barrels used for shochu.
Shochu is packed in barrels with an alcohol content of around 40%, so perhaps this taste comes from the low alcohol content and the strength of the barrel? That's what he said.
YA
The composition is complex: Komagatake and Tsunuki are blended, a small amount of the already blended Komagatake and Tsunuki are added, and then water is added.
I felt banana, green fruit, peat, and fruit ole.
It's a fruit ole that you drink after taking a bath in a public bath, and it's a very interesting drink.
It's delicious, but what worries me is the price. .
The official version, which also has 50% water, costs about 9,000 yen, while it costs about 18,000 yen, which is double that.
Is it because it is treated as a small batch? . ?
Thoughts on the seminar
All of this year's festival bottles were delicious, but personally I was particularly interested in Dornoch, Kanosuke, and YA.
If I had to choose one, I would say Dornoch.
I learned a lot of things, so if I can win the ticket competition, I will participate next year.
Highlander Inn Chichibu
After the seminar, I met with the audience and went to the famous Highlander Inn Chichibu restaurant together.
Luckily I was able to sit down.
We drank a variety of things, including private bottles of Chichibu.
Asaya store
Next, we visited Asaya Shoten, a famous liquor store in Chichibu.
It was a great selection of products.
I didn't want to buy it that day because I didn't want it to be in my luggage, but I plan to visit tomorrow and buy it again.
Bar Craic
After Asaya Shoten, we visited Crack, a famous bar in Chichibu.
I drank a variety of Chichibu from the past, as well as the latest releases.
Miyakawa Night Bazaar
The Miyakawa Night Bazaar, which can be called the eve of the Chichibu Whiskey Festival, is about to be held, so I headed to the venue.
Here you can sample Chichibu Daiichi Distillery's single malt, world blended, and Chichibu Daini Distillery's single malt that will be entered into the Garapon lottery at tomorrow's event.
Of note is the single malt from Chichibu No. 2 Distillery.
The second distillery's single malt will be unveiled for the first time at the Chichibu Whiskey Festival 2024.
At tomorrow's event, only the Garapon lottery will be held, and you will not be able to sample these three bottles.
I think the only places where you can drink all three bottles at once are at this eve, at a bar that will be stocked at a later date, or at a booth at the Chichibu Whiskey Festival, a whiskey event that will be held at a later date.
I was quite drunk and didn't feel like I could leave a tasting comment. .
The first distillery had a complex taste.
World Blended didn't leave much of an impression on me.
The second distillery was simple and tasted best when I was quite drunk.
If I wasn't drunk, I might have found the complex first taste delicious. .
I'm thinking of having another drink at the bar when it arrives next time.
I went drinking at the bar again.
I drank these three bottles again at a bar the other day.
As for my impressions, of these three, Distillery 2 was the most delicious, so I thought that my impressions were surprisingly accurate even when I was quite drunk.
After that
After that, I returned to the hotel and fell asleep immediately.
I was able to eat Chichibu's famous ramen, meet the viewers, and visit famous liquor stores and bars.
This time, I was able to drink a limited edition bottle at the eve, and it was a very satisfying day.
If I had any regrets, it would be that I was too drunk to eat dinner. .
Next time, ``On the day of the event” I would like to introduce you to.
YouTube
I'm also posting it on YouTube!
