Chichibu Distillery Releases Four UK Exclusives, Including First Two-Distillery Blend

Chichibu Distillery in Saitama Prefecture, known for Ichiro’s Malt, has announced four new whiskies for the UK market. They went on sale at UK retailers in stages from 1 October, and were also shown at The Whisky Show 2026 in London from 2 to 4 October. The centrepiece is Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu Double Distilleries, the first bottling to combine spirit from the two distilleries the company operates in Chichibu.

First and Second Distilleries Meet for the First Time

Chichibu Distillery stands in the city of Chichibu in Saitama Prefecture, north-west of Tokyo, and its second distillery began operating in 2018. Although both belong to the same company, the character of the spirit differs: the first distillery is regarded as fruity, while the second is fuller-bodied with more weight. Double Distilleries is the first product to combine the two, set up so that two personalities born in a single place can be compared in one glass.

Behind it lies a move towards a “fully in-house Japanese blended whisky”, with both malt and grain made by the company itself. The company also owns a grain distillery in Tomakomai, Hokkaido, and a set-up is taking shape in which the roughly 310,000 litres of malt produced at its two Chichibu sites would be joined by Tomakomai’s production capacity of 2.4 million litres. This Chichibu-only blend can be read as a step on the way towards that vision.

Peat, Sherry and the Final Chapter of the Warrior Series

Chichibu II Hint of Sherry uses spirit from the second distillery matured for five to six years, combining sherry and bourbon casks, with some peated malt smoked over peat. Chichibu The Peated 2026 is the first heavily peated single release since 2022, using spirit smoked to a phenol level of 50ppm. For readers who enjoy Islay-style smokiness, it will probably be the most approachable of the four.

The ninth in the UK-only series, Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu London Edition 2026, combines 16 casks from the first distillery, including two wine casks from New Zealand and California. The label is the third and final chapter of the Warrior Series by Raj Chabhda, creative director of Elixir Distillers. Based on ukiyo-e warrior prints, it shows a samurai facing a serpent, a symbol of protection, wisdom, transformation and rebirth, and it has been given a finish that makes the image emerge in response to light. The four bottles range in price from £110 to £211.

How European Readers Can Enjoy Them

All four were sold only through UK retailers and at the show venue. Readers on the Continent should first check whether British specialist shops ship abroad. In London in early October there was a rare chance to taste all four side by side at the venue. Even if the bottles are hard to get hold of, knowing Chichibu’s two faces, “the first is fruity, the second is full-bodied”, will help you choose Chichibu bottles that reach Europe in future. Peat lovers can look to the 50ppm figure, and label lovers to the warrior picture that appears in the light.