Chita whiskies

History

Suntory built Chita at the beginning of the 1970s, when whisky consumption was growing strongly in Japan and the company needed more grain whisky for its blends. Until then, grain whisky was almost never bottled on its own, either in Japan or in Scotland, because it was considered a neutral base. The distillery works with several types of column and with different barleys and corns, allowing it to produce different grain styles, from the lightest to fuller-bodied ones. That variety is one of the keys to the complexity of Suntory’s blends. With the international rise of Japanese whisky, the house decided to show its grain as a whisky with a personality of its own.

House style

Chita’s style is light, clean and sweet: gentle honey, vanilla, white flowers, coconut and a touch of mint. Matured in casks of different types, including wine and bourbon casks, it gains roundness without losing delicacy. It is a light-bodied whisky, unpeated, with a smooth, elegant finish, very different from a malt.

Where to start

The Chita is the catalogue’s only expression and a good way to discover Japanese grain whisky. It works very well as a highball, with soda and plenty of ice, which is how it is usually drunk in Japan. If you like it, try it next to Hibiki or Toki to understand what the grain brings to those blends. Its lightness also makes it a good companion to food.

• The ChitaSingle grain · 43% ABV