Chichibu Ichiro's Malt MWR Mizunara Wood Reserve 46% Vol. 0,7l in Giftbox

A Chichibu bottling with no official indication of the origin of the single malts used; it is assumed that these use malts from Chichibu and Hanyu.
Bottled without cold filtration, this malt whisky is matured in Mizunara casks.
The specific influence of this precious wood is obvious: a tasting with complex, spicy scents dominated by woody aromas.

Nose

Red fruits. Watered down red table wine.
Some exotic wood, probably a large tree that's been choped down, but also some smaller bushes and shrubberies still in the ground with new sprung leaves.
Very gentle, so little wrong that it feels engineered, "Made in Japan" probably mean that it is. However that perfectionism is exactly what makes it lack that enthusiastic spark.

Taste

Same with the taste, it doesn't make me enthusiastic.
Very drinkable, nothing wrong and that's what's wrong.
Some would say "smooth", I call it slick. It slips down without very much to grasp on to, although it got a noticable level of all spice.
Sweet, caramel, maybe a nut or two.

Finish

Very simple short finish on caramel notes, although some spicy warmth lingers for a little bit longer.