Salud reveals ‘unicorn’ Chichibu bottling

Dutch distributor Salud Spirits has unveiled 'the most limited Chichibu release ever', Spirits of Salud: Angels Favourite.

Drawn from a single cask #4569, the heavily peated eight-year-old Japanese single malt is limited to only 75 bottles worldwide, making it one of the rarest Chichibu's ever released. The whisky was initially intended for release under the distributor's 7even Gods of Fortune series. However, the outturn was considered too small for an official release due to a leak in the cask, which resulted in the loss of almost three-quarters of the liquid inside. Released under the distributor's Spirits of Salud range, Angels Favourite is a play on the term 'angel's share', a nickname for the evaporation of whisky from the cask during maturation. According to Salud, "not a single cask of Chichibu has ever leaked as much whisky as the Angels Favourite." The whisky was chosen by an expert panel and offers aromas of 'peat, vanilla, bacon, mint and earl grey, followed on the palate by umami flavours with seaweed, crayfish and liquorice.' Angels Favourite Chichibu single malt is made with heavily peated Concerto barley, aged in a second-fill Bourbon barrel and offered at 63.5% ABV in 700ml bottles. The rare bottling will be initially launched in the Netherlands and Austrian markets and is expected to be highly sought-after by whisky enthusiasts. Created with AI technology by design studio Warbb, the label depicts an angel holding a cask, who is trying to protect the whisky from evaporating and, in this case, leaking. Earlier this month, Salud Spirits released the fifth edition of the Chichibu 7even Gods of Fortune series: Fukurokuju.