There are moments in whisky that feel like a line drawn in the sand. Chichibu's The First Ten is one of them. This is the distillery's inaugural ten-year-old single malt — a statement of intent bottled at a muscular 50.5% ABV, and carrying a price tag of £1,200 that will either make you wince or nod knowingly, depending on how closely you've been watching the Japanese whisky market over the past decade.
I'll be direct: I've tasted this whisky, and the price is not arbitrary. Chichibu operates on a scale that makes even Scotland's smaller craft distilleries look industrial. Production volumes are famously limited, and the distillery has built its reputation not on heritage marketing but on the liquid itself. The First Ten represents a full decade of maturation — no small feat for a relatively young operation — and it arrives at a moment when serious collectors and drinkers alike have been waiting to see what Chichibu can do with proper age.
At 50.5%, this is bottled at a strength that demands your attention. It's not cask strength in the way that some distilleries use the term loosely; it's a deliberate choice that preserves intensity without tipping into aggression. Japanese single malts at this concentration tend to reward patience. Give it air. Give it time. The whisky will meet you halfway.
Tasting Notes
I won't fabricate specifics where the data doesn't support them, and detailed tasting notes for this particular bottling are not yet confirmed in our records. What I can say from experience is that Chichibu's house style leans towards fruit-forward, delicately spiced whisky with a textural quality that belies the distillery's youth. At ten years old and 50.5% ABV, expect depth, concentration, and the kind of layered complexity that justifies sitting with a glass for the better part of an evening. This is not a whisky that reveals itself in the first sip.
The Verdict
An 8.3 out of 10 feels right for The First Ten. It is a genuinely impressive whisky — one that demonstrates maturity and confidence from a distillery that has earned its place among the most talked-about names in world whisky. The score reflects both the quality of what's in the glass and a measured acknowledgement that at £1,200, this sits firmly in the territory of special occasion purchases. It's not the most expensive Japanese single malt on the market, not by a long stretch, but it's a significant outlay, and I think it's important to be honest about that.
What earns it the score is intent. This isn't a whisky that coasts on scarcity or label prestige. At 50.5%, unchillfiltered, with a full decade of maturation behind it, The First Ten is built for people who care about what's actually happening in the glass. It's a serious whisky from a serious distillery, and it delivers accordingly.
Best Served
Neat, in a tulip-shaped glass, with ten minutes of air before your first sip. If the ABV feels assertive, add a few drops of still water — no more — and let it open. A whisky at this price and this quality deserves your full attention, not ice, not a mixer. That said, if you're feeling bold, a Japanese-style Highball with premium soda water and a twist of citrus peel would not be a disgrace. Chichibu has the backbone for it. But try it neat first. Always neat first.
