Chichibu Ichiro's Malt & Grain 111 Proof
Chichibu Ichiro's Malt & Grain 111 Proof is a 111-proof (55.5% ABV) world blended whisky in a 700mL bottle — a US-exclusive, high-proof take on Ichiro Akuto's acclaimed global blend, combining whiskies from Scotland, Ireland, America and Canada with Chichibu's own Japanese single malt, including peated malt. Non-chill filtered, no additives or colouring. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- Proof / ABV: 111 proof (55.5% ABV)
- Size: 700mL, US-exclusive limited edition
- Blend: malt and grain whiskies from Scotland, Ireland, the US and Canada, married with Chichibu single malt; includes peated malt
- Maturation: 4–17 years in ex-bourbon and ex-rye whiskey barrels and other cask types
- Blender: Ichiro Akuto, founder of Chichibu Distillery, Saitama, Japan
- Recognition: 93 points, VinePair
One Blender, Five Whisky Nations
Ichiro Akuto built Chichibu from scratch in Saitama — the first new Japanese distillery in decades — and his Malt & Grain world blend is the bottle he is said to drink himself. The 111 Proof edition takes that blend and turns the volume up: the same five-nation vatting of malt and grain whiskies, aged four to seventeen years, with peated malt in the mix for the first time and the strength pushed to a full 111 proof. Non-chill filtered and naturally coloured throughout. Browse the Chichibu collection and the wider Japanese whisky shelf at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
Per retailer and review profiles: sweet cola, shortbread and tobacco aromas; a palate of candied orange, dried pineapple, vanilla and butterscotch with pear and apple; subtle peat smoke underneath; a long, warm finish of tropical fruit and sea salt.
How to Enjoy
Neat in a tulip glass — at 111 proof it has the intensity to stand on its own — then a measured splash of water to pull the tropical fruit forward. A superb candidate for a side-by-side with the standard White Label blend to taste what proof and peat add.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is "world blended whisky"?
A blend of whiskies from multiple countries — here Scotland, Ireland, America, Canada and Japan — vatted and married by one master blender rather than distilled in a single place.
Why 111 proof?
It is the strongest release in the Malt & Grain line to date (previous editions sat at 92–96 proof), bottled high to preserve intensity and texture.
Is the 111 Proof limited?
Yes — a US-exclusive limited edition, and the only Malt & Grain release to include peated malt in the standard vatting.
For collectors of high-proof Japanese blends, this is the one to chase — order Chichibu Ichiro's Malt & Grain 111 Proof online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.