When businesses want to get things off the ground, they need several essential things - the skills, the product, the people, the location, some more philosophical might chime in - the heart! Yet, I have another answer, less heartwarming, but alot more pragmatic - the money, or to use a less crass term, the capital. 

And while some opt to take a loan, harangue their friends and family, perhaps even crowdfund - which was all the rage a couple of years ago, but has somewhat died down; the whisky world is a little special - they're called private casks. Since the endeavor of whiskymaking is someone esoteric, loans are hard to come by, and so emerges a fairly unique fundraising mechanism - that of, private cask sales. It's basically pre-ordering in a way. To my knowledge, no other industry offers quite something of the sort.

Many distilleries including Chichibu Distillery used private casks to help keep the distillery afloat in its early days. (Image Source: Whisky.com)

Many distilleries, particularly in their youth, with nothing to offer as their whiskies take several years to mature, can only sell what's on hand - typically new make, or alcohol that is currently being produced. There's just one issue - no one drinks new makes or unaged whiskies for fun. Those quicker on their feet would've sought to produce alcohol that doesn't require aging - vodka or gin tend to be the usual suspects. Those more crafty would attempt to undertake the unenviably task of convincing fans to buy their new make - marketed as an early glimpse into the potential of it all. Unsurprisingly, given that the age of a whisky is quite the consideration for both those who consume, as well as those who produce, this happens to be quite the line in the sand. Some distilleries find it unsavory to peddle what they deem an "unfinished product" to customers, even if it is in support of the lofty goal of getting a distillery up and running. 

Me? I don't feel two ways about it. It's a willing buyer, willing seller market after all. Also, if rums are increasingly enjoyed unaged - fashioned as white lighting, or the magic stuff that spruces up your daiquiri - well, if whiskymakers are cool with the bottom of a cocktail glass being the destination for their new makes, then what's the issue? 

Regardless, some distilleries choose to shoulder the voluntary qualifier of only putting out the "finished product" - no less, is their credo! And so for those distilleries, they tend to dabble in the private cask game. That is to say, private individuals, companies, retailers, distributors, bars - are all invited to purchase casks of whiskies which will then continue to mature under the supervision of the distillery, until they are finally ready to be bottled and handed over to their very patient buyers. This allows distilleries to secure much needed capital today, while their private cask purchasers patiently wait for their whiskies to age. That helps to keep the lights on for that much longer.

Various distilleries have different names for their private casks - Suntory has its Owner's Cask, some simply call them private cask, while Chichibu calls theirs Malt Dream Casks (or MDCs).

Since these casks are owned by private individuals, bars, retailers, the sort, their bottles are particularly difficult to access and pretty much has to be gotten from the buyer of the private cask. 

Today, we're pretty fortunate to get to try a Chichibu Malt Dream Cask that was bottled for Shuiku no Kai, which is a Japanese association of sorts that is dedicated to promoting the appreciation of fine spirits. This Chichibu MDC is an 8 Year Old Japanese Single Malt that was matured in a Bourbon barrel and bottled at 61.3% ABV.

Chichibu 2008, Malt Dream Cask, Shuiku no Kai, 8 Years Old, 61.3% ABV - Review

Color: Golden Honey

Aroma: Intense, rich honey, thick cream, vanilla, toffee, caramel, and then a lighter whipping cream - lush, smooth and sweet. It's not prickly hot, but remains punchy and vibrant. It's accompanied by spices of cinnamon and nutmeg. There's a malty and hoppy note here as well, reminiscent of IPA and at the same time malt biscuits. Candy floss, rock candy, sugar coated tropical fruit and marshmallow gummies, and then a more woody, oaky and at the same time pine forest note, even spearmint.

Taste: Punchy, thick, oily texture, yet vibrant flavors leading with an intense warmth, lots of vanilla pouring in, hay, honey, nectar, malt - sweet yet an almost fiery passion. Absolutely pounding on the palate - in a good way, obviously. This is the evidence of an active cask metered only by a strong distillate that can hold up against it - when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. As the sweetness and spice fades, the same tropical fruit gummies show up - mangoes, oranges and apricots, almost cordial-like come to mind amidst the pounding. So full-bodied, it's obscene. There's a woodiness that comes through of freshly shaven oak and back at it with the forest-y pine notes that resemble spearmint.

Finish: Long, warming, BIG. It's at once sweet and intensely vanillic, but also super warm, with a light crackling of black pepper here and shaved oak. There's a Szechuan peppercorn sort of numbing sensation here (known as mala - to mean "ma" for numbing, and "la" as in spicy").

My Thoughts

Oof! Easily, and I mean, easily, the best Bourbon-barrel Chichibu I've had. I specify that as I do recognise that I have a penchant for some of the more peculiarly-aged Chichibu's - but those wouldn't be a good apples-to-apples comparison.

This demonstrated such an amplified example of what Chichibu is known for. It packed so much oomph and heat without ever being prickly, offering up a pounding of the palate of intense vanilla sweetness, and a lighter yet ever present fruit gummy. It was incredibly memorable, intense, flavorful, incredibly full-bodied, smooth and rounded texture - yet none of the sharpness, hotness or burn. This demonstrated an almost controlled-oomph, a decisively surgical punch to your palate. I love it. 

It it somewhat of a curiosity that most Chichibu-afficionados whisper of how Chichibu's MDC's are better than even their own OB core releases - which if true (and has been true to my experiences), is quite a shame. In the early days when Ichiro had fought to get Chichibu Distillery up and running, it certainly wasn't easy (the guy had to hit up hundreds of bars over 2 years to get them to begrudgingly take his now legendary Hanyu Playing Cards bottlings). It was probably the case that in a landscape of highly discerning private buyers such as Japan's liquor scene, the guy probably had to sell some of his best casks to fund the dream. As such, most of the best stuff went into the MDC's. It'll be awesome to see what Chichibu can put out once it's washed out and paid the last of its dues and the stuff of dreams goes into a Chichibu OB bottling.

Kanpai!

@111hotpot