Chichibu Ume Drift – the first signature of a new chapter

Reading time: approx. 4 minutes

With Takarabune, the impressive 7EVEN Gods of Fortune series recently came to an end. Eight rare bottlings that once again firmly put Chichibu on the map among enthusiasts and collectors around the world. But with Ichiro Akuto, things naturally never stay quiet for long.

The next chapter is now ready: Signature Series – Spirits of Salud. And the first release is called Ume Drift.

Not another single cask cut from the same cloth, but rather a whisky that shows a different side of Ichiro Akuto. Perhaps even the side that comes closest to his own vision of whisky making.

Blending as the highest form of whisky making

When it comes to special Japanese whisky, attention quickly turns to single casks. One cask, one bottling, a small number of bottles. Understandable, because these are exactly the kinds of releases that capture the imagination.

Ichiro Akuto sees things differently.

For him, a blend does not have to be a compromise at all. Quite the opposite. Bringing different components together into one whisky in which everything falls perfectly into place is something he sees as one of the most difficult and refined parts of the craft.

Balance is the key word here. Not one element overpowering everything else, but fruit, power, oak, spice and structure complementing one another.

Ume Drift is a beautiful expression of that.

The whisky was selected by master blender Ichiro Akuto and is the first of three consecutive releases within this new series.

Signature Series – one release, one signature

The idea behind the Signature Series is actually very simple: every bottling should have a clear identity of its own.

This is not a series in which the same recipe is repeated each time. The cask, the story and the choices behind the whisky determine its character anew with every release.

One release. One signature.

Limited, unfiltered and without smoothing away the sharper edges of the story. Whisky for enthusiasts who are not necessarily looking for more bottles, but above all for bottles that have something special to say.

With a worldwide outturn of just 271 bottles, Ume Drift easily fits that description.

Koshu: a special Japanese wine cask

One of the most striking aspects of Ume Drift is undoubtedly the Koshu White Wine Cask used for its maturation.

Koshu is a Japanese grape variety that is strongly associated with Yamanashi, Japan’s most important wine region, at the foot of Mount Fuji. The wines are generally refined and elegant, with fresh citrus fruit, floral notes and a subtle minerality.

And that is exactly what makes the cask used here so interesting.

Koshu is not a type of wine from which large quantities of used casks become available to the whisky industry. The fact that such a cask was then used for a whisky by Ichiro Akuto makes it all the more exceptional.

It also gives Ume Drift a distinctly Japanese character. Not only do the whisky and the man behind it come from Japan, the wine cask itself also carries a clear piece of Japanese identity.

Why the name Ume Drift?

The name was not chosen by chance either.

Ume refers to the Japanese ume blossom. It blooms early in the year, often while winter has not yet fully passed, and in Japan it symbolises renewal, resilience, subtlety and quiet strength.

That contrast fits this whisky remarkably well.

On the one hand, there is the elegance of flowers, citrus and fruit. On the other, there is a whisky at 61.2%, with smoke, spice and a fair amount of intensity.

Soft and powerful at the same time.

That tension is exactly what forms the basis of Ume Drift.

What can we expect in the glass?

On paper, 61.2% sounds fairly serious, but the tasting notes show above all that power is not the only goal here.

On the nose, Ume Drift starts complex and layered. Citrus and stone fruit come together with subtle floral notes, light smoke and delicate spices.

On the palate, it becomes fuller. Smoky influences and ripe fruit remain nicely balanced, while citrus and spice add tension. The cask strength gives the whisky plenty of structure and intensity.

The finish is medium-long, lightly peppery and has a subtle bitter accent. A few drops of water are absolutely worth trying here. They open the whisky up further and bring out additional layers of fruit and nuance.

This is a whisky you will not be finished with in five minutes. And that is, of course, a good sign.

A new chapter for Ichiro Akuto

After the exuberant and highly collectible 7EVEN Gods of Fortune series, Spirits of Salud deliberately chooses a different story with the Signature Series.

Ume Drift does not need to resemble its predecessors.

It is precisely the idea that every release receives its own signature that makes this new series interesting. And with a Koshu White Wine Cask, cask strength, just 271 bottles and Ichiro Akuto at the helm, the opening release is anything but cautious.

Ume Drift is not a continuation of what came before. It is the beginning of something new.

The Signature Series – Ume Drift is now available at Passion for Whisky.