Chichibu – London Edition 2024 (50.5%)

The London Edition is Chichibu's annual release made for the UK market, first launched at The Whisky Show in 2018. This 2024 bottling is limited to 1,920 bottles and is bottled at 50.5%. It is assembled from around ten casks, mostly ex-bourbon barrels, balanced by a single red wine cask. The label was designed by Raj Chavda of Elixir Distillers and draws on the Musha-e tradition, showing a warrior battling a dragon. It glows in the dark, a first for the series. The nose is creamy vanilla and rich honey with white peach and a little smoke. The palate is velvety, with white pepper, cream, red fruit and honey. The finish is bright and mineral, ending on lemon meringue and a touch of resinous pine.