Ichiro's Malt & Grain World Blended Whisky (White Label) is a regular release from Venture Whisky / Chichibu Distillery in Saitama, Japan. The line is named after founder Ichiro Akuto, and White Label is its accessible everyday face.
Chichibu started production in 2008 and led the wave of Japanese craft distilleries. Its single malt "Chichibu" goes for serious money at international auctions, while White Label sits much closer to everyday use — built from malt and grain whiskies sourced from overseas distilleries, with Chichibu's own malt added as a key component.
Casks from five countries, with Chichibu as the key
According to Venture Whisky's disclosure, White Label is a world blend of malt and grain whiskies from Scotland, Ireland, the US, Canada, and Japan. 46% ABV, non-chill-filtered.
The nose is vanilla and cereal, with pear and a faint thread of woodsmoke. On the palate, honey and toffee, then a Chichibu signature of orange peel and woody spice on the back end. The finish is medium — grain sweetness and malt density end at the right point. At 46% ABV the body holds up neat, on the rocks, or in a light highball. The blend reads as drinkable but with real depth — clearly the work of practiced blenders.
The accessible window into Chichibu
Single malt Chichibu has long left the casual price range. White Label, in contrast, sits steadily in the ¥5,000–¥7,000 range and works as a sane entry point for tasting Chichibu malt without spending heavily. It's a fair recommendation as a first pick into Japanese craft blending.
Chichibu chases the top of the single-malt world; White Label takes on the role of "the Ichiro's bottle you can actually drink at home." Open this first, then graduate to the single malts — that's the realistic order.
Venture Whisky / Chichibu Distillery
Operating since 2008, the leading edge of Japanese craft
Located in Chichibu, Saitama. Founder Ichiro Akuto comes from the family that once owned Hanyu Distillery. After losing the family distillery in 2004, he founded Venture Whisky in 2007 and started Chichibu in 2008.
The Ichiro's Malt range
The "Card Series" of legacy Hanyu casks (now completed at the Joker), single malt Chichibu, the Leaf Label series (such as Mizunara Wood Reserve), and the Malt & Grain world blend covered here.
Chichibu II
A second distillery opened in 2019 in the same city, expanding capacity more than fivefold and securing stocks for longer-aged future releases.
Steadily available on Amazon.co.jp through regular distribution.