To commemorate the 15th anniversary of BAR Shinkai, a limited-edition Ichiro’s Malt bottling was created with the cooperation of Chichibu Distillery (Venture Whisky Co., Ltd.), renowned both in Japan and internationally for its highly popular Ichiro’s Malt. Several overseas whiskies aged for around 10 years were transferred into hogshead casks at Chichibu Distillery and further matured for approximately five years from 2019. The resulting whisky has an average age of around 15 years.

From Ichiro's Malt & Grain Bottled Exclusively for BAR ”Shin Kai"

Apparently, the multiple overseas whiskies used in this blend are Scotch and Canadian whisky. They were transferred into a hogshead at Chichibu Distillery and further matured for about five years from 2019, bringing the average age to around 15 years. I’m curious whether the hogshead used at Chichibu had previously been used to mature Ichiro’s Malt, or whether it was made from casks that had held the imported whiskies. Either way, as someone who believes that “higher ABV is always better,” I thoroughly enjoyed it. A blended whisky at this strength... truly impressive.