Ichiro's Malt Double Distilleries 2021

The nose starts with sautéed gooseberries, grapefruit pith and sandalwood incense then light floral notes of honeysuckle and jasmine along with dark chocolate covered dehydrated pineapple and prunes followed by peaches, hay and lemon zest that transitions to light barrel spices with low ethanol burn. The taste is a thin mouthfeel starting with a moderate bitter and sour spice that slowly fades to mangos, nectarines and freshly lit sandalwood incense then floral notes of honeysuckle and jasmine along with dark chocolate covered dehydrated pineapple and prunes followed by caramelized peaches, Granny Smith apple peel and sour lemon candy that transitions to black pepper, cloves, ginger, leather and black tea leaves with medium ethanol burn. The finish is short with tropical fruit, sandalwood and light barrel spices that vanishes quickly. Damn it, I was really excited to try this one as anything I’ve tried lately with Chichibu on it has been impressive but this double distillery just didn’t come together well for me. The nose has an interesting mix of citrus, florals, spices and light oak but there is a sourness that diminishes the experience which carries over to the taste but thankfully is upfront with a moderate spice that fades to an enjoyable mix of sweet tropical fruit, florals and mildly bitter oak before the rather rushed finish that the flavors dissipate in milliseconds. At a price of nearly $300, this is a hard pass for me and I’m glad I just had a sample to try.