La Maison du Whisky's Whisky Live has always been a major highlight for any whisky and/or rum lover. It's like New York Fashion Week but make it spirits. Every year fans get to have 2 days to have first dibs on exploring La Maison du Whisky's (LMDW) new collection - which they incredibly and extensively put together bottle-by-bottle every single year, with hundreds of special bottlings for LMDW or otherwise exciting new releases from distilleries and producers who work with LMDW for distribution - and it's always a treasure hunt then to trawl through the extensive new collection and pick out the hidden gems. Everyone's hidden gem is different, unique and really a matter of personal taste and preference - as all spirits are - yet the reality is that some bottlings will inevitably meet the crosshairs of large swaths of collectors and fans who all converge on those hallowed bottles.

Now I might be giving it away, but it's well understood by the seasoned veterans of Whisky Live Singapore that each year's edition (in recent years) will invariably come with two bottlings from the LMDW Singapore Chichibu Flower Series - one Chichibu Single Malt and the other a Ichiro's Malt & Grain Single Cask Blended Whisky.

Throwback to some of the LMDW Singapore Flower Series bottlings.

Whilst these LMDW Singapore exclusives have become highly collectible amongst in particular local fans, it wouldn't be a reach to say that it's appeal is somewhat patriotic - that is, it's a Singapore exclusive, and Singaporeans love Singapore exclusives - rather than necessarily because of the whisky itself. To be clear, the whisky inside thus far has been excellent, but Chichibu's whisky are generally excellent, and so what I'm really referring to here is the extraordinary fervor for these select bottlings - these are that very proverbial hidden gems that I had alluded to.

And so in all honesty whilst I've enjoyed each release in the collection, I've till now largely seen them - the whisky itself - as not all that different from the other Chichibu's. 

But this Whisky Live Singapore 2025 - this time was decidedly different. 

Having a blast at Whisky Live Singapore 2025!

Almost as if to remind us all that the good folks at La Maison du Whisky Singapore have quite a few more cards up their sleeve, and so perhaps we ought to make sure to keep our eyes peeled on their events, they've bottled what just might be the first ever Umeshu cask aged Chichibu single malt!

This immediately caught my attention as both a great admirer of Chichibu's whiskies as well as a good Umeshu, the latter of which is a Japanese fruit liqueur made by soaking ume fruit (not actually a plum, and in fact closer to an apricot) in a spirit (which is fairly all encompassing, typically Shochu, Rum or Whisky) along with some times the addition of rock sugar, that's then left to steep for anywhere from 3-6 months, all the way to years!

This commonplace beloved drink is widely made across households in Japan, with the gentle tartness of the ume fruit combining itself with the richness of the rock sugar and alcohol, that's then historically consumed as a health elixir, but today functions as anything from a summer Highball to a winter warm-me-up! Nevertheless despite its ubiquity in Japanese life and then the izakayas outside of Japan, Umeshu's are not to be trifled with! Numerous highly renowned and well regarded breweries and distilleries in Japan have sought to perfect a Umeshu recipe as almost some manner of universal proof that their craftsmanship can elevate even the most seemingly ordinary Japanese treat.

And so this combination of the two was sure to exact the strongest of allure for me this Whisky Live Singapore, and I knew that I had to try it - which thankfully I did!

So let's get to it!

Whisky Review: Chichibu 2018 Umeshu Cask First-Fill Flower Series #5 For La Maison du Whisky Asia Pacific (Singapore), 7 Years Old, Single Cask #16110, 60.9% ABV

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep Gold

Aroma: Richly honeyed with a distinct fruity tartness of ume fruit, a sort of green unripe stone fruit quality, yet here coaxed with all of that luscious richness of maltose candy and brown sugar syrup. It's incredibly aromatic with these brighter fruity tones also of guavas, mangosteens and jackfruit. There's such great depth and richness here with all that granulated brown sugar that's accented by that green tropical fruit twang.

Taste: Just as it was on the nose, the body shows great richness, medium-plus bodied, it's luscious and rounded, yet still with this firm precision of tropical tones of guavas, mangosteens and lychees, all backed by thick honey and brown sugars. It's gently herbal too, with eucalyptus, manuka honey and herbal Pei Pa Koa cough syrup, and then also with a whiff of grill smoke that merges with the fruits to give grilled guavas and kiwis. It's evocative and cohesive, with great concentration.

Finish: This richness of course carries through the finish, persisting with those grilled tropical fruits, yet still allowing for that tropical fruit tang to come through cleanly with an almost bright zippy acidity, as well as now more of that muskiness of the guavas and mangosteens. Completely integrated with the softly herbal manuka honey, there is also a lingering waft of sweet smoke, lightly tingling even after the finish.

My Thoughts

This was really enjoyable and certainly a very different side of Chichibu that I haven't quite seen before - much richer and fuller-bodied, with also this tangy fruit acidity that's backed up by a deep and luscious, candied herbal base. Whilst some Chichibu do show that tropical fruit profile, this one takes the cake! The tropical fruits are intensely accentuated, with that muskiness and tartness coming through with such definition and precision, yet at the same time rounded - and not sharp - by the richness of the honey and brown sugar that fills the body. It's concentrated, luscious and broad, yet at the same time still finds headroom for the brighter notes to be on full display. What was also particularly enjoyable was how the gentle sweet smoke integrated itself so perfectly to give grilled tropical fruits of guavas and kiwis, that were so evocative and compelling!

That said, the cask influence of the Umeshu barrel definitely comes through intensely here, reflected in both the richness of the body as well as the overall flavour profile of the whisky - to that end, it would be interesting to see perhaps a second-fill Umeshu barrel used that might offer a slightly lighter touch that could deliver more balance, where the Chichibu spirit shines through more and plays alongside the Umeshu barrel.

All things said, this had so much oomph and presence and so beautifully shows us a completely different Chichibu - big shoutout to LMDW Singapore for making this landmark happen; it's not everyday that the Little Red Dot gets to debut a new cask type for such a beloved and renowned distillery! It's also not lost on me that all-Japan resonance of Chichibu's Japanese single malt being aged in a Japanese local specialty Umeshu barrel.

As always, an incredible Whisky Live Singapore 2025, I can't wait for next year's edition already!

Kanpai!

@111hotpot