Crafted by Suntory, The Chita is hard to come by in this part of the world. It’s a 100% single grain which means it utilizes “Coffey stills” or more technically referred to as column stills, which allow for continuous production and leave a creamier sweeter feel to the dram. Single grain whiskies also don’t need to be made from barley nor do they need to be malted. Unmalted means the seeds or grains haven’t gone through germination so there are no enzymes or sugars, just starches. The Chita uses a variety of casks and mostly corn and comes together at 43%. The Chita has an amazing nose. It actually blew me away. The initial nose is Banana, cereal, sweet corn, vanilla. Very sweet. Grassy vegetal notes too. White oak in the distance with a dry aura of oak lingering in the back. It’s surprisingly complex. Taste is absolutely divine. Literally milk chocolate. It’s like eating a sweet chocolate dessert. This shows the true brilliance of a well done single grain whisky and how sweet they are. I was sleeping on Single Grain whiskies until this. It’s phenomenal. I’m genuinely surprised how good this actually is. 95/100
About this bottle
From Suntory's "silent" distillery in the Aichi Prefecture, this is a single grain whisky from the Chita Distillery, which opened in 1972 in Port Nagoya, Japan. This grain distillery already produces whiskies you know and love, namely the grain whisky backbone of the Hibiki range and other Suntory products. Extremely rare offerings aside, Suntory hasn't bothered to bottle much of anything from Chita as a single grain. Its one domestic core range product, the Chita Grain (which was already a limited-production bottling), all but disappeared as demand for Hibiki expanded. Initially released for the Japanese market in September 2015, beginning in July 2016, it will be available at select travel retail and duty free outlets.
How it tastes
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Reviews
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Nose - Vanilla sugar syrup, vanilla cake frosting, white cake from a box Taste - Sweet white cake, vanilla frosting, light peach, candy cake toppings Finish - Lingering sugar sweet, vanilla syrup, corn syrup Score - 73/100 Final Thoughts - Could instantly tell this one was a grain whisky from the nose. It's that super clean distillate nose and hits the palate like other grains I've had in the past. This one borders on dessert territory in that it gives off white vanilla cake vibes, frosting and all. It feels as if they just took a whole bunch of vanilla frosted cakes with sprinkles and distilled it. It sounds pleasant, but borders on being a bit too sweet/desserty for me. I'm glad I got to try this, but not sure I'd be happy with a whole bottle of this. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - No Would I buy a bottle? - No NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.
Suntory's workhorse distillery is not as picturesque as Yamazaki and Hakushu, and thus hidden from public view. Elegant and yet simple, the nose of 'The Chita' combines honeydew melon, chamomile and cereals with gingerbread, custard and white chocolate. The honeyed and vanilla-forward taste evolves with coconut, mint and slightly dry oak spices. A bit youthful, but very tasty. Cinnamon rolls, almonds and more honey linger in the bittersweet finish. So much in Japanese whisky is lost in translation, there is more to this bottling than meets the eye. RATING: 3.4/5.0 stars ≙ 82 pts → ABOVE AVERAGE [-]
The Chita immediately reminds me of Suntory Toki, but it holds several additional layers of complexity. For me, thats a good thing. While I love Toki, its simple and doesn’t flaunt. The Chita, on the otherhand, has nuance. Here you find vanilla and herbal tones. It’s light, but playful, and the finish is more bold than you’d expect from a spirited grain whisk(e)y. It’s not for everyone, but if you like offerings from Japan, I’d recommend it as a nice alternative to your standard Hibikis and the ever-growing list of mediocre “Japanese,” whisk(e)ys we’re seeing fill tne shelves of local liquor stores.
Very light on the aroma, with no noticable nose. A hint of sweetness on the palate with little else except maybe a very slight touch of raisin or even rice, as if drinking a saki. Quite a bit of a burn to the throat and down to the stomach with no particular finish. The lack of character to this whiskey might make it smooth or easy for some to drink but is disappointing if youre expecting an enjoyable flavor profile. Probably good for mixing since there is no real taste coming forward. Big pass on any recommendation or future purchases.
A n elegant, Japanese single grain whisky from the Chita distillery, one of the distilleries owned by Suntory matured in a combination of Sherry, bourbon & wine casks. It has an aromatic birth with notes of Honeydew melon, citrus & honied cereal; while a rich life adds notes of vanilla sponge cake, more honey & a touch of orchard blossom; that led to a zesty death of medium length. October 2017 / June 2018 / 2020 / July 2021 / 2022
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Tastes like this
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