Chita 4 Years Old 2009 G13.1 A Complete revelation (58.3%, SMWS, Virgin Oak Puncheon, 622 bottles, 2014)

• ABV: 58.3%
• Age: 4 Years Old
• Bottling: SMWS, Cask G13.1
• Category: Japanese Single Grain Whisky
• Cost: £92
• Origin: Chita distillery
• Vintage: 2009

What they say

Flavour: Juicy, oak & vanilla

The Panel were awestruck by this dram of intense beauty. Luscious mango and pineapple juices accompany lychees, Bounty Bars and fragrant lemongrass. The oak is remarkably fresh and fruity with toffee, marshmallows and damson jam. Gingerbread spice is complimented by creamy milk chocolate and impossibly rich vanilla custard. With water, cherryade, butterscotch, orange oil and fruitcake are entwined in seemingly endless complexity. Theres pear crumble, fruit cocktails, coconut and gorse bush and a bourbon vanilla milkshake. Candied fennel makes a brief appearance before plum crumble is served up with a toffee bourbon sauce.

Colour: Peach sunset Drinking tip: Give it time and you will be rewarded Distilled: October 2009 Outturn: 622 bottles

What I say

Released back in 2014 when Japanese whisky was still reasonably priced and affordable for the average person. This was the first bottling from Grain distillery #13 by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society and hails from the Chita grain distillery in Japan. Buried in my to be sampled/inbox for some time. I was looking for a light starter to a tasting session the other week and spotted this young #G or grain bottling and assumed that would suffice.

My tasting notes:

• Appearance: Dark brown gold (12/20), medium-large tears and medium legs.
• Nose: Fresh, coconut, vanilla, sweet honey, green and floral, roses and rosewood or sandalwood, woody oak, coloured pencil shavings woody and slightly waxy or plastic.
• Taste: Woody and spicy, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, gingerbread, wood shavings, foam banana sweeties (esters), milkybar white chocolate buttons a hint of tobacco leaf, chewy and woody, damson fruit?
• Finish: Long, oily, coconut, vanilla, a little drying oak.

Overall

Fascinating for a 4 year old grain whisky. The virgin oak puncheon has had a fair share of the contribution to the flavour profile of this whisky. A superb introduction to Chita’s grain whisky potential thanks to the SMWS.

Score 87/100

Don’t take my word for it:

Bloggers submit link to your review