By Andreas Lykke, The Daily Whisky
The Chichibu x Selfridges Single Cask 2026 is the second
collaboration between Chichibu Distillery and Selfridges
and Ichiro Akuto doesn’t just make whisky. He makes statements.
The latest one is the Chichibu x Selfridges Single Cask 2026: a 2018-vintage, seven-year-old single malt Japanese whisky drawn from a single first-fill bourbon barrel, bottled at 59.5% ABV with no chill filtration and no added colouring. Only 195 bottles exist. It lands on shelves and at Selfridges.com on 20 May 2026, priced at £265.
Chichibu Distillery and Selfridges have released their second collaboration: a single cask, single malt Japanese whisky from the 2018 vintage, aged seven years in a first-fill bourbon barrel and bottled at cask strength (59.5% ABV) without chill filtration or added colouring. Only 195 bottles exist. The nose is candied citrus and honeysuckle with roasted orchard fruits; the palate is rich peach and brown sugar; the finish is long and vanilla-driven. Available from 20 May 2026 at Selfridges London, Manchester, Birmingham, and Selfridges.com. RRP £265.
What’s in the glass
Chichibu x Selfridges Single Cask 2026 — tasting notes
Nose: Candied citrus, honeysuckle, roasted orchard fruits, sweet cinnamon
Palate: Rich and full-bodied — ripe peach, brown sugar, warm spice
Finish: Long, warming vanilla
ABV: 59.5% cask strength
Cask type: First-fill bourbon barrel
Vintage: 2018
Age: 7 years
Bottles: 195
Price:£265 / 70cl
First-fill matters here. A virgin oak cask would dominate after seven years, pulling the liquid in a heavy, tannic direction. A good first-fill bourbon barrel adds vanilla and caramel while keeping the distillery character central. You can taste Chichibu’s fingerprints throughout.
At 59.5% ABV, a few drops of water open the fruit further. Or don’t — and drink it as it came out of the barrel.
The label is the point
Chichibu has built a practice out of this. When they bottle a single cask for a specific partner, the label isn’t a house design with the customer’s logo bolted on. It’s a bespoke piece of art made to reflect exactly who the bottle is for.
For Selfridges, the label echoes the department store’s theatrical Oxford Street window displays — installations that have long operated as art before they operate as retail. It’s a collaboration that began in 2019, and the second chapter feels just as considered as the first.
We saw the same philosophy at work in March 2026, at a landmark tasting at Juuls in Copenhagen — a night celebrating 100 years of the Danish wine and spirits institution. Chichibu produced an exclusive single cask for the occasion, and the label carried The Little Mermaid: Copenhagen’s most recognisable symbol. A Japanese whisky wearing Danish heritage on its bottle, poured in a room full of people who understood exactly what that meant.
It’s a small detail that separates Chichibu from almost every other distillery operating at their scale. The bottle tells you where it belongs.
Why Chichibu is still the most sought-after name in modern Japanese whisky
Ichiro Akuto founded Chichibu Distillery in 2004 and started distilling in 2008. It is small by design and meticulous by philosophy. The Akuto family has been producing alcohol in Japan for generations — that lineage shows in how Ichiro approaches every decision, from cask selection to when a release actually earns its bottle.
The result is a catalogue of limited releases that collectors track obsessively and retailers sell through quickly. Single casks like this Selfridges bottling are the purest expression of what the distillery does: one barrel, one moment in time, 195 chances to experience it.
At the Juuls anniversary tasting in Copenhagen, we worked through eight different Chichibu expressions — from the Red Wine Cask 2023 to the Floor Malted 2024 to the IPA Cask. Each felt distinct, specific, intentional. That consistency across wildly different cask types is harder to achieve than it looks.
Price and availability
The Chichibu x Selfridges Single Malt (59.5% ABV, 70cl) is available from 20 May 2026 at Selfridges London, Manchester, and Birmingham, and on Selfridges.com. RRP £265. Selfridges ships internationally — check regional availability on their site.
195 bottles. The 2019 version sold through. Don’t wait to decide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Chichibu x Selfridges Single Cask 2026? It is a single cask, single malt Japanese whisky produced by Chichibu Distillery in collaboration with Selfridges. The whisky was distilled in 2018, aged seven years in a first-fill bourbon barrel, and bottled at cask strength (59.5% ABV) without chill filtration or added colouring. Only 195 bottles were produced. This is the second Chichibu x Selfridges collaboration, following a 2019 release.
What does the Chichibu x Selfridges 2026 taste like? The nose leads with candied citrus, honeysuckle, and roasted orchard fruits, with a whisper of sweet cinnamon. The palate is rich and full-bodied — ripe peach, brown sugar, and warm spice. The finish is long and vanilla-driven. Adding a small amount of water at 59.5% ABV will open the fruit profile further.
How much does the Chichibu x Selfridges Single Cask cost? The RRP is £265 for a 70cl bottle. It is available exclusively through Selfridges — at their London, Manchester, and Birmingham stores, and online at Selfridges.com. International shipping is available via the Selfridges website, though availability varies by country.
Where can I buy the Chichibu Selfridges whisky? Exclusively through Selfridges. In-store at London (Oxford Street), Manchester Exchange Square, and Birmingham. Online at Selfridges.com from 20 May 2026. Only 195 bottles were produced, and previous Chichibu x Selfridges releases have sold out quickly.
Is the Chichibu x Selfridges 2026 cask strength? Yes. It is bottled at 59.5% ABV, directly from the cask without dilution, chill filtration, or added colouring. This means the alcohol is noticeable, but the spirit retains its full texture and flavour intensity. A few drops of water will soften the delivery and encourage the fruit notes to open.
What is Chichibu Distillery? Chichibu is a small Japanese single malt distillery in Saitama Prefecture, founded by Ichiro Akuto in 2004, with distillation beginning in 2008. It is one of the most sought-after names in modern Japanese whisky, known for limited-release single casks, meticulous cask selection, and collaborations with international partners that feature bespoke label artwork.
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