Ichiro’s Malt & Grain Blended Japanese Whiskey Limited Edition 2024. venture whiskey, released by Chichibu Distillery. Features and price are explained.
Limited Edition 2024 was produced in a limited edition of 500 bottles, priced at 242,000 yen per bottle including tax. It is being shipped mainly to restaurants.
Ichiro’s Malt” is a whiskey released by “Venture Whiskey” in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture. Ichiro’s Malt” is so popular and difficult to obtain that it is sold out on the same day it appears in stores, but the Leaf Series ( Mizunara Wood Reserve, Wynnewood Reserve, and DoubleDistilleries ), which can be considered standard products, are immensely popular and captivate whisky fans.
- What is Venture Whiskey Co.
- What are Chichibu distillery, Hanyu distillery and Kawasaki distillery?
- 3. photos of the bottles and the website where they can be purchased
- 4. Ichiro’s Malt & Grain BlendedJapanese Whisky Limited Edition 20 24 Features
- 5. Awards
- 6. List price and online price
- 7. Summary
- Lastly: Recommended Books on Japanese Whisky
What is Venture Whiskey Co.
The company that produces Ichiro’s Malt & Grain BlendedJapaneseWhiskeyLimited Edition 2024 is Venture Whiskey Co.
| Company name | Venture Whiskey Co. |
| Established | 2004 |
| Head office location | 49 Midorigaoka, Chichibu-shi, Saitama 368-0067 |
| Owned distilleries | Chichibu Distillery, Chichibu No.2 Distillery |
What are Chichibu distillery, Hanyu distillery and Kawasaki distillery?
This distillate is a blend of malt from Chichibu and Hanyu distilleries, and grain from Kawasaki distillery which used to exist.
The distillery where Ichiro’s Malt & Grain BlendedJapaneseWhiskeyLimited Edition 2024 is produced is Chichibu Distillery, located in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture.
| Distillery Name | Chichibu Distillery |
| Location of distillery | 49 Midorigaoka, Chichibu-shi, Saitama 368-0067 |
| Start of operation | 2007 |
Chichibu distillery produces single malt whisky rooted in the Chichibu region.
The founder, Mr. Ichiro Hido, takes pride in the fact that the malt whiskey is Japanese whiskey, and produces it by hand with a small mill, mash tun, oak fermentation tanks, and pot stills made by Forsyths of Scotland.
The Chichibu distillery is surrounded by rich nature, clean air, and high quality water. The summer is hot and humid, and the morning and evening temperatures are below freezing. The difference in temperature between the cold and hot in this harsh climate has a great influence on the maturation of the whiskey, resulting in a fruity and well-balanced whiskey despite the short maturation period.
Established in September 2004.
Chichibu distillery was completed in 2007.
In February 2008, a license to make whiskey was issued and whiskey production began at the Chichibu distillery.
In October 2019, the second distillery begins operations.
This distillery was established after Suntory Hakushu Distillery and Kirin Fuji Gotemba Distillery, which were established in 1973. This is the first distillery to be established in Japan in 35 years, at the very end of the whisky slump.
The annual production of whiskey is only two days that of the Glenlivet distillery in Scotland.
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The second distillery, which has been in operation since the fall of 2019, produces five times as much as the first distillery. The distillery produces 2 tons of malt at a time, and the pot stills are the same straight shape but much larger so that five times as much can be distilled. The distiller is Forsyth and uses a direct gas-fired distillation machine.
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For more information about Chichibu Distillery, please visit
Hanyu Distillery
| Location | 4-1-11 Nishi, Hanyu-shi, Saitama |
| Start of operation | 1946 – October 2004 (in operation until 2000) |
Established in 1946 by Toa Shuzo as Akuto Shuzo Honke in what is now Chichibu City, Saitama Prefecture.
Began sake production.
In 1941, the company moved to its current location in Hanyu City, Saitama Prefecture, and was established.
In 1946, the company obtains a license to produce whiskey.
1948 Begins production of “Golden Horse” whiskey.
2000Stopped operation of Hanyu distillery (production of whisky distillate was stopped).
Stopped distilling after 2000, and the barrels being matured were handed over to Mr. Ichiro Hido of Venture Whiskey. The Hanyu distillery was given the brand name “Ichiro’s Malt” by Mr. Hido, and it became one of the limited but barely available products from the closed distillery.
Kawasaki Distillery
| Location | 3-1 Suzuki-machi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa-ken |
| Start of operation | 1935-2003 |
1934 Showa Brewery Co.
1935 Kawasaki Plant begins operations
1942 Changed the company name to Showa Nosan Kako Co.
1947: Began production of whiskey at Kawasaki Plant, selling “Sun Luck Whisky”.
At that time, the company did not yet manufacture original whiskey, so it purchased original whiskey and sold blended whiskey.
1949 Name changed to Sanraku Shuzo Co.
1958: Increased whiskey production and started producing malt whiskey
1962 Merged with Ocean Corporation to form Sanraku Ocean Corporation
1969: Begins production of grain whisky at the Kawasaki factory.
1980 Construction of grain whiskey storage facility at Kawasaki Plant
1985 The company name was changed to SANRAKU CORPORATION.
1990 Company name changed to Mercian Corporation.
2003 Production function of the Kawasaki factory was terminated. The plant was closed.
2007 Became an operating company of Kirin Holdings and became part of the Kirin Group.
Currently stores the original Kawasaki factory whiskey at Venture Whiskey’s Chichibu distillery in Saitama Prefecture; in 2009, single grain Kawasaki “1982 Kawasaki,” “1981 Kawasaki,” and “1976 Kawasaki” whiskeys were released using whiskey distilled at the Kawasaki factory during the Sanrak Ocean era.
It is unknown how much of the original whiskey remains today.
3. photos of the bottles and the website where they can be purchased
Ichiro’s Malt & Grain Blended Japanese Whiskey Limited Edition 2024
Ichiro’s Malt&Grain Blended Japanese Whisky Limited Edition 2024
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4. Ichiro’s Malt & Grain BlendedJapanese Whisky Limited Edition 20 24 Features
Chichibu Distillery, which began production in 2008, currently matures its whiskey in seven cellars. The key malt is the one that shows its strength in blending, and this product is a well-balanced blend of only the unique domestic whiskeys matured in Chichibu.
The refreshing acidity that blends with the heavy brown sugar-like sweetness and the barrel aroma filled with memories of the aging cellar linger pleasantly on the palate. The malt is bottled in natural color, non-chill filtered, so that you can enjoy the original character of the original. We hope you will fully enjoy this blended Japanese whiskey, a blend of malt and grain born in Japan and nurtured by time.Quote: From the label on the back of the product
The Chichibu distillery, established in 2008, uses malt whisky produced at the former Hanyu distillery, and grain whisky produced at the Kawasaki distillery 40 years ago from corn and other ingredients, each with their own unique characteristics. This blended Japanese whiskey is aged in a variety of casks, including bourbon and sherry casks.
4-1. Tasting Notes
| Aroma | Maple syrup, dried fruits, and herbal freshness |
| Taste | Smooth texture, cereal aroma, rich sweetness of molasses and vanilla, and peat flavor |
| Lingering | Cool oaky aroma, complex layers of oily and malty sweetness, and a long, lingering finish |
4-2. Product Specifications
| Alcohol content | 48% (with a minimum of 5% alcohol by volume) |
| By Sake | Blended Japanese Whiskey |
| Cask type | Bourbon casks, sherry casks, etc. |
| Volume | 700ml |
| Number of bottles sold | Limited to 500 bottles |
| Suggested retail price | 242,000 yen (tax included) |
| Release date | March 2024 |
5. Awards
No awards received at this time.
6. List price and online price
6-1. Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price
| Product Name | Ichiro’s Malt & Grain Blended Japanese Whiskey Limited Edition 2024 |
| Capacity | 700ml |
| Suggested retail price | 242,000 yen (including tax) |
6-2. Resale price on Mercari
There appears to be no resale price on Mercari at this time. (*As of 3/29/2024)
6-3. Sold Price on Yahoo! Auctions
There do not appear to be any listings on Yahoo! Auctions at this time. (*As of 3/29/2024)
6-4. Rakuten, Yahoo Shopping, Amazon
Mail order sites also confirmed the listing of a past Japanese Blended Limited Edition: the 2022 Blended Japanese Limited Edition, priced at 400,000 yen on Amazon. (*as of 3/29/2024)
6-5. Price offered at BAR Shinkai
At “BAR Shinkai” operated by this site, 45ml: 69,300 yen 30ml: 46,200 yen, 15ml: 23,100 yen, etc. are offered in small quantities.
7. Summary
Although this whisky is extremely rare with a limited edition of 500 bottles, it is available at each BAR Shinkai. 2021, 2022, and 2023 products are also available.
We don’t know how long we will be able to continue blending malt whiskey from the Hanyu distillery and grain whiskey from the Kawasaki distillery.
This is a very precious whiskey. Please take this opportunity to enjoy this precious Japanese whiskey.
Please take a look at the other articles about Ichiro’s Malt.
Lastly: Recommended Books on Japanese Whisky
If you want to learn more about Japanese whisky, which is a global trend, we highly recommend these books.
(1).Whisky Galore Vol.29 December 2021 issue
In the December 2021 issue of Whisky Galore, published by the Whisky Culture Research Institute, we report on 11 Japanese craft distilleries, including some that are open to the public for the first time, under the title of “Japanese Whisky Craft Frontline,” the first of three consecutive issues. Why did the popularity of Japanese whisky and the craft boom occur? We will examine with interviews. Chichibu Distillery / Chichibu No.2 Distillery / Mars Shinshu Distillery / Mars Tsunuki Distillery / Kanosuke Distillery / Hioki Distillery / Ontake Distillery / Osuzuyama Distillery / Kaikyo Distillery / Hanyu Distillery / Konosu Distillery
(2). Japanese Whisky as an Education for Business
This is a book written by Mamoru Tsuchiya, a world-famous whisky critic and representative of the Whisky Culture Research Institute, titled “Japanese Whisky as a Culture that Works for Business” .
The book covers the basics of whisky, the introduction of whisky to Japan, the birth of Japanese whisky, advertising strategies and the rise of Japanese whisky, and the current rise of craft distilleries. This is a book that summarizes Japanese whisky in a very easy to understand way.
(3). Whisky and I (Masataka Taketsuru)
Masataka Taketsuru, the founder of Nikka Whisky, devoted his life to brewing whisky in Japan. This is a revised and reprinted version of the autobiography of a man who simply loved whisky and talked about himself. The book vividly depicts the days when he went to Scotland alone to study as a young man and overcame many hardships to complete Japanese whisky, as well as his companion, Rita.
(4). A Letter of Challenge from a New Generation Distillery
Launching in 2019. With the world experiencing an unprecedented whisky boom, what were the managers of craft distilleries thinking and what were their thoughts as they took on the challenge of making whisky? This book tells the stories of 13 craft distillery owners, including Ichiro Hido of Venture Whisky, famous for his Ichirose Malt, who inspired the birth of craft distilleries in Japan.
(5). Whiskey Rising
This is the Japanese version of Whisky Risng, published in the US in 2016, with much updated content. Not only does it describe the history of Japanese whisky in detail, but it also includes data on all the distilleries in Japan, including the craft distilleries that have been founded in recent years. The book also includes descriptions of the legendary bottles that have been released, as well as information on bars where Japanese whisky can be found.
