Slainte-Mhath
Suntory The Chita Single Grain
Single Grain — Japan
Reviewed
August 20, 2023 (edited August 25, 2023)
Suntory's workhorse distillery is not as picturesque as Yamazaki and Hakushu, and thus hidden from public view. Elegant and yet simple, the nose of 'The Chita' combines honeydew melon, chamomile and cereals with gingerbread, custard and white chocolate. The honeyed and vanilla-forward taste evolves with coconut, mint and slightly dry oak spices. A bit youthful, but very tasty. Cinnamon rolls, almonds and more honey linger in the bittersweet finish. So much in Japanese whisky is lost in translation, there is more to this bottling than meets the eye.
RATING: 3.4/5.0 stars ≙ 82 pts → ABOVE AVERAGE [-]
45.0
EUR
per
Bottle
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@cascode Interesting. The western palate seems to crave for sugar. I had issues with dry, bitter and savory sensations in whisky myself when I first started my journey. Now I find overly sweet whiskies rather bland, but it takes time to reset your senses to enjoy all the flavor wheel has to offer.
@Slainte-Mhath Japanese grain and Irish whiskey generally do well here, I suspect for exactly the reason you suggest.
Additional comment: I find it interesting that 'The Chita' got a much better ratings on Distiller (3.7/5.0) than on Whiskybase (78.85, which is barely 3 stars). I can only assume that bourbon drinkers like the flavor profile of this grain, while malt snobs tend to dismiss grain whisky altogether, which is a shame!