Name: Chichibu On the Way (Cask Strength)
Color: Light Gold
Nose: Alcohol, pears, apples
Taste: Strong alcohol, pears, sweetness, light smoke
Review:
I tried this whisky at a tasting hosted by Dominic Roskrow in the Flatiron district in NYC. Dominic was in town promoting his new book on Japanese whisky and I highly recommend the book. It clearly explains Japanese whisky and has great insight to the country, distilleries, and various bottles. That night we sampled a variety of whiskies and I enjoyed almost all of them, but this one I had a little trouble enjoying. This bottle is cask strength and is so strong I could barely nose the whisky and the taste was just as difficult to determine. I was very surprise that a whisky from Japan was this strong. There was no real balance to the spirit, just a big bite.
My personal preference is not to drink cask strength whisky. I have had many good ones, but they can be too much on the senses and can quickly become too much on my head. The “On the Way” was too strong for me even after I cut it with water a few times. Even after I cut it, I was really stuck on the taste the alcohol. I am not a fan of playing chemist with my whisky. A drop of water or an ice cube is the most effort I want to put into my glass and when I cut whisky, expect the whisky to soften.
As I have mentioned in previous reviews, Japanese whisky is very popular right now and everyone is drinking it. There are many types, levels of strength, and a wide range of price so I will consider this the first one I did not enjoy and I am surprised I did not like it. The strength of the spirit was expected, but the real shock was the price.
A bottle will cost approximately $260. For that price, I would expect a lot more flavor that I could detect and enjoy as I sipped my dram. As I say, if you like it, drink it, but, for me this whisky is not something I could enjoy and I would not pay this price for a bottle this strong.
If you like it, drink it!
