Chichibu 2018 Cask #9614, Selfridges Exclusive

THE HOLY SPIRITS VIEWA rare pairing of Japan's most obsessed-over distillery with one of London's great retail names — only 195 bottles exist, drawn from a single first-fill bourbon cask. The kind of bottle that vanishes within days and resurfaces only at auction, at a premium. THE DISTILLERYChichibu was founded by Ichiro Akuto in 2004 and began distilling in 2008, in Saitama prefecture, about 100km from Tokyo. Built on a family history in Japanese alcohol production stretching back generations, the distillery has earned cult status through an intensely hands-on, small-batch approach and single casks that rarely sit on shelves for long. THE WHISKY: CASK #9614, SELFRIDGES EXCLUSIVEDistilled in 2018, matured seven years in a first-fill bourbon barrel, bottled in 2025 at cask strength — 59.5% ABV, non-chill filtered, no added colour. Just 195 bottles, sold exclusively through Selfridges. The label, echoing the theatrical window displays of the Oxford Street store, is as much a small artwork as packaging. TASTING NOTESCandied lemon peel, warm orchard fruit — baked apple, roasted pear — honeysuckle, a dusting of cinnamon, bourbon vanilla creeping in underneath. Oily on the palate straight away, ripe peach, brown sugar, that same vanilla now thicker, more custard than spice. Aeration brings out stewed apricot, a faint waxy note, toasted coconut at the edges. Stunning cask for its age. Finishes long, warm, sugared peach skin lingering, a last whisper of orchard blossom. Intriguing how much depth seven years can carry at this strength. Serve: Neat, in a Glencairn glass — a few drops of water if you want the fruit to bloom further, though there's plenty to enjoy as poured.