Chichibu Komagatake 2021 Ichiro's Double Distilleries (70cl, 53.5%)

This is the 2021 release of Ichiro's Malt Double Distilleries, a blended malt made by Ichiro Akuto from single malts of the Chichibu and Mars distilleries. In Japan it is unusual for distilleries to share casks, which sets this bottling apart. It is bottled at 53.5% in a 70cl bottle, limited to 10,200 bottles worldwide. The nose brings crisp apples and juicy pears woven with honey and vanilla, plus a floral touch. On the palate, caramel and toffee sit alongside dried fruit and spice, with gentle smoke over a creamy, malty base. The finish is long, with oak, spices and a faint trace of peat.