Founded in 2007 by Ichiro Akuto, grandson of the founder of the Hanyu distillery, Chichibu has been in business since February 2008. Describing himself as a "Whisky Geek", Ichiro founded Chichibu with the aim of conducting experiments and producing a high-quality single malt. His creations are a real success since they have managed to raise the brand among the major players in Japanese whisky, behind the houses Suntory and Nikka. The Chichibu distillery is located in the eponymous city, in the heart of the mountains northwest of Tokyo, the Japanese capital. The mountainous and very changing climate of this area allows the creation of complex whiskies with rapid maturation. The distillery consists of four buildings: an office, a production centre, a cellar and a warehouse that is now used as a malting area. It has two stills made in Scotland, a mill and eight washbacks designed in Japanese Mizunara oak. In the cellar, the barrels are diverse and varied and can be American Bourbon, Sherry Butt, Sherry Fino, French wine or Tequila. Taking advantage of only a small artisanal installation, Chichibu's production is limited to about 2000 litres of whisky per week. This small-scale production ensures an exceptional quality of the final product, especially since it always goes through the fateful step of Ichiro's mouth before being bottled. Ichiro's creations are marketed under different names, such as Ichiro's Malt, Asama or Ichiro's Cards. Initially, the whiskies produced were from the first distillations of Chichibu to which old Hanyu barrels were added. In 2011, Ichiro began creating his first "Single Malt" by creating whiskies up to 12 years of ageing.