Chichibu: Ichiro's Malt

Type: Distillery and brand

About 400 casks of Hanyu whisky survived because Ichiro Akuto arranged to save them when production stopped in 2004. That rescued stock became the foundation of Ichiro's Malt. Chichibu, the distillery he went on to build in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, first distilled its own spirit in February 2008. Brand and distillery share a founder, but their histories begin at different moments. [1][2][3]

What Chichibu and Ichiro's Malt are known for

Saving Hanyu whisky and making something new at Chichibu are the two strands of Akuto's work. Ichiro's Malt connects them: a brand rooted in his family's Hanyu distillery, with a history that now includes whisky made at both Chichibu sites. It is not simply another name for Hanyu. [1][7][8]

The original Chichibu has mizunara oak fermentation vessels, a small mash tun and some floor malting. At Chichibu II, the fermentation vessels are French oak and the stills are directly fired. These equipment choices distinguish the sites; they give no reason to assume their whiskies taste alike. [1][5]

From Hanyu casks to a new distillery

When Hanyu stopped making whisky in 2004, Akuto had maturing spirit to protect. His family company, Toa Shuzo, ran the distillery in Saitama, and production stopped when the business was sold. Akuto saved about 400 casks and arranged storage and bottling with Sasanokawa Shuzo in Fukushima. [1][3]

He used his first name for Ichiro's Malt, the brand built on that rescued stock. Among its releases was the Card Series, with individual Hanyu casks carrying their own playing-card label designs. Those cards mark a particular chapter, rather than the full story of what Ichiro's Malt became. [1]

Japan Whisky Press records Akuto explaining that the casks were approaching their twentieth birthday and that he could not abandon them. He compared his attachment to the feeling towards a child. It is a powerful account of his decision to preserve the whisky, told in his own terms. [1]

Akuto founded Venture Whisky in 2004. Chichibu was built in 2007, first distilled in February 2008 and released its first single malt in 2011. The new distillery gave a brand founded on saved whisky a source of spirit of its own. [1][2][3]

Founding date verdict: Disputed. Wikipedia gives 2007 as the year the distillery was established. Japan Whisky Press dates construction to 2007 and first spirit to February 2008. Both separate 2007 from the start of production in 2008; the remaining distinction is between establishment and construction. The earliest source of the claim is not documented in the supplied record. Sources, checked November 2026: Wikipedia and Japan Whisky Press.

Story box: From rescued stock to Chichibu

A production timeline

Venture Whisky, the Chichibu distilleries and their first releases each have their own starting points. Following them in order makes the relationship clearer, and explains why the Ichiro's Malt name alone does not identify the whisky in a bottle.

Ichiro's Malt began with Hanyu whisky already maturing in cask. Chichibu The First marked a different milestone: the new distillery's first single malt, released in 2011 after distillation began in February 2008. [1][2]

Inside the original Chichibu distillery

Eight mizunara oak washbacks stand at the heart of fermentation at the original Chichibu. Japan Whisky Press describes these vessels alongside a 2,400-litre mash tun. Fermentation lasts about 80 to 100 hours, with lactic acid bacteria becoming active after about two days. These are the original distillery's specifications, not those of Chichibu II. [1]

The same account identifies custom-made wash and spirit stills from Forsyths in Scotland. It also records annual floor malting of 10 to 15 tonnes of barley, accounting for approximately a fifth of the distillery's malt requirements. [1]

Mizunara's role extends beyond fermentation. In 2018, according to Japan Whisky Press, eight trees from above 900 metres near Chichibu were made into ten casks. The wood appears in both the vessels used to make the spirit and those used to mature it. [1]

Cooperage equipment verdict: Documented. Venture Whisky bought equipment, including a splitter, from a closed cooperage to make its own mizunara staves. The earliest source of this account is not established in the supplied record. Japan Whisky Press, checked November 2026, reports the purchase and its purpose.

Mizunara intention verdict: Documented. Tasting mizunara matured whisky prompted Akuto to want the wood involved in Chichibu's process from the start. The earliest source of this account is not established in the supplied record. Japan Whisky Press, checked November 2026, reports his intention.

The warehouses are described as stone and brick buildings with earthen floors and three or four tiers of casks. Akuto puts the annual angel's share, the spirit lost during maturation, at about 3 to 5%. This is his reported estimate, not a fixed loss rate for every cask. [1]

What changed with Chichibu II

The first Chichibu II release drew on spirit distilled between 30 September 2019 and 20 July 2020. Described as lightly peated, it was bottled at 55.5% ABV. Those details belong to that release, rather than defining everything made at the second distillery. [5][8]

Chichibu II opened just down the road in 2019. Importer Skurnik describes it as five times larger than the original, with French oak washbacks and directly fired stills. Its spirit is double distilled in Forsyths copper pot stills. [5][6]

The scale comparison is not an annual production figure. The clearest equipment contrast is in fermentation: mizunara washbacks at the original Chichibu, French oak at Chichibu II, where directly fired stills are also specifically documented. [1][5]

Reading the Ichiro's Malt range

Double Distilleries shows how much can sit behind one release name. It originally combined Hanyu and Chichibu malt whisky. The newer version brings together malts from Chichibu I and Chichibu II for the first time. The same name has described two different pairings, making the version essential to understanding its contents. [3][7][8]

Early named pure malts also included Mizunara Wood Reserve and Wine Wood Reserve. Alongside Double Distilleries, they show that blending belongs within the history of Ichiro's Malt. The brand cannot be reduced to a succession of Chichibu single malts. [3]

The wider range includes Ichiro's Malt & Grain, Chichibu The Peated and Chichibu The Floor Malted. Each release name adds detail that the umbrella brand alone cannot supply. [1]

More recent releases include Chichibu 10 Year Old, described as the second age-statement single malt after The First Ten in 2020. There are also The London Edition 2025 and 2026, and Distillery II Hint of Sherry, containing whisky aged 5 to 6 years. [6][8]

Common mistakes

“Ichiro's Malt is all Hanyu whisky.” Hanyu stock launched the brand, but Chichibu has distilled its own spirit since 2008. The association describes the beginning of the story, not the contents of every later release. [1]

“Double Distilleries always means Chichibu I and II.” That is the recent pairing. The earlier version combined Hanyu and Chichibu: the same name has covered different sources of malt whisky. [7][8]

“Chichibu is one large modern plant.” There are two nearby distilleries with different equipment. The original's 2,400-litre mash tun and partial floor malting belong to one production set-up; the larger Chichibu II has another. [1][5]

Visiting Chichibu

There are no regular public tours, according to Japan Whisky Press. It reports one public open day on the day before the Chichibu Whisky Matsuri. That is a specific opportunity, rather than year-round visitor access to the distillery. [1]

Before travelling, check current official announcements for the event date, admission arrangements, accessibility and age conditions. Do not build a visit around an assumption that a working distillery admits visitors without prior arrangements.

Where to go next

• Yamazaki: continue with another Japanese distillery profile.
• Yoichi: explore a separate Japanese whisky producer.
• Shizuoka: read another distillery account alongside Chichibu.

Sources

[1] Japan Whisky Press. Chichibu distillery: history, whisky and how to visit. Undated web guide, supplied version checked November 2026. https://japanwhiskypress.com/chichibu-distillery-guide/

[2] The Whisky Exchange. Chichibu distillery: a guide. Undated web guide, supplied version checked November 2026. https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/inspiration/article/18063/chichibu-distillery-a-guide-the-whisky-exchange

[3] Wikipedia. Chichibu distillery. Web reference, supplied revision checked November 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chichibu_distillery

[5] Skurnik Wines & Spirits. Single Malt Whisky, Ichiro's Malt, Chichibu II. Undated importer product account, supplied version checked November 2026. https://www.skurnik.com/sku/single-malt-whisky-ichiros-malt-chichibu-ii-chichibu-distillery/

[6] SLR Magazine. Speciality Brands unveils three new Chichibu whiskies. Trade report, supplied version checked November 2026. https://www.slrmag.co.uk/speciality-brands-chichibu-whisky-launch/

[7] The Whisky Wire. Chichibu launches four new Japanese whisky releases. 15 September 2026. https://thewhiskywire.com/2026/09/15/chichibu-launches-four-new-japanese-whisky-releases/

[8] Peated Perfection. Chichibu Distillery II Whisky Review. December 2025. http://peatedperfection.blogspot.com/2025/12/chichibu-distillery-ii-whisky-review.html

This desk-researched article follows the supplied verified fact sheet, retaining its distinctions between reported accounts, production dates and release identities.

Last checked: November 2026