From what was first started as a way to support the town's local bars in the midst of the pandemic, by incentivising whisky lovers to continue to head down to have a drink in a fun mini whisky hunt, has now become a full fledged annual tradition!

Since 2020, famed independent bottler Whisky Mew, led by Hideo Yamaoka, has organised annually the Chichibu Stamp Rally. 

Hideo-san (left), with Chichibu founder, Ichiro Akuto (right).

Stamp rallies are a fairly recognised activity in Japan where folks are incentivised to check out several places in order to collect stamps and in so doing are able to complete a stamp booklet which can then be mailed in for a prize. This has been organised for ramen restaurants all the way to train services getting folks to check out particular train stops to discover lesser known areas of town!

For the Chichibu Stamp Rally, whisky lovers are to have more than two drinks at 5 participating bars around the Chichibu area (as well as the broader Saitama Prefecture and also several bars in Tokyo) - there are a total of 20 bars, all of whom are committee members of the annual Chichibu Whisky Matsuri festival that is held each year in February, and remains one of the most highly regarded whisky festivals in the world. 

Each year the prize has been a highly collectible bottle of Chichibu single malt, which is up for purchase if a participant collects enough stamps, submits his/her stamp card and wins the lottery. Participants must collect at least 5 stamps (from 5 bars, of which 3 must be in Chichibu, 1 in Saitama ex-Chichibu, and 1 in Tokyo), and if he/she visits all 20 participating bars, he/she will be entitled to 5x the odds of winning. The stamp rally serves as a run-up to the Chichibu Matsuri in February, and so will run from Saturday, August 17, 2024, up until Friday, January 31, 2025.

For this year's prize, a very special Chichibu Stamp Rally Bottle has been selected. Hideo-san has selected a 7 year old Chichibu single cask that's been aged for four years in ex-California Red Wine barrels. The barrels are first-fill American Oak barrels that once held a classic Bordeaux blend of California red wine, that's primarily made of Cabernet Sauvignon. The single cask was distilled in 2016 and bottled in 2024, with a 63% ABV. A total of 258 bottles have been produced, with only 207 to be up for grabs via the Chichibu Stamp Rally lottery.

On top of that, it'll carry a label that Chichibu fans will find thoroughly recognisable - it features art from local Chichibu painter Katsuno Heiji, the same person who had rendered the famous Joker label for the legendary Ichiro's Malt Playing Card Series, which features a total of 58 expressions, encompassing the 54 playing cards of the standard Poker deck, with two variants of the Joker playing card.

The particular art piece that will be used for the 4th Chichibu Stamp Rally belongs to the cafe and bar owner of Shu-Ha-Li.

Official Tasting Notes 

Aroma: Elegant and delicate. Raisins on the stem. Boiled red beans. Brown bread. Gradually develops into a cookie-like sweetness.

Flavor: The last sip of a red wine glass. Slight acidity and astringency. Moderate tannins that leave your nose after drinking. Malty flavor emerges. The finish gradually gets stronger, like a crescendo. Adding water brings it together gently.

Overall Rating: Chichibu malt aged in high-quality red wine barrels from a famous California winery. There is no sulfur smell at all, and you can enjoy the slow changes. 

For more information, please check out WhiskyMew's website here.

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team