Ichiro’s Malt Card Joker: An Exquisite Japanese Whisky with an Exceptional Story
Ichiro’s Malt Card Joker is an exceptionally rare Japanese single malt whisky that has gathered a cult-like following of whisky enthusiasts, collectors, investors, and ultra-lux bars around the world.
Revered for its fragrance, complexities, and exclusivity, with a compelling background to boot, Ichiro’s Joker is a whisky worth appreciating.
Ichiro’s Malt Card series includes 54 distinct bottles of premium Scotch-style malt whisky, representing the 52 cards in a playing deck, plus the two jokers.
Each bottle has a unique flavor profile due to the type of cask in which it was aged, including hogsheads, sherry butts, puncheons, cognac casks, Madeira hogsheads, bourbon barrels and chibidaru casks.
Each unique bottling of whisky is represented by a playing card on the label.
The ultra-rare whisky series has shattered multiple records around the world. In 2020, a full set of 54 Malt Card series bottles sold at a Hong Kong auction for $1.52 million.
The previous record for the most expensive Japanese whisky collection ever sold was just $917,000, set by another 54-bottle full Malt Card series sold in July 2019.
For collectors, investors, and whisky enthusiasts, the Malt Card series represents a treasured piece of history— a small taste of the exquisite whisky produced at the now-closed Hanyu distillery.
A whisky that reaches as far back as the 1600s
The story of Ichiro’s Joker— and the full 54 bottle series— is a captivating one.
The original Hanyu distillery was founded by the Akuto family, a family whose brewing experience went back to the 1600s.
In 1941, they built the Hanyu distillery on the banks of the Tone river, in Hanyu Japan, just northwest of Tokyo.
They distilled the whisky from their own barley and paddy fields surrounding the building, manufacturing the spirit the traditional Scottish way.
From 1946 to 2000, the Hanyu distillery produced a variety of spirits, including their now-famous whisky. In 2000, as Japan’s demand for whisky plummeted, the distillery was sold and the equipment dismantled— but not before the founder's grandson, Ichiro Akuto, purchased the premium stock and relocated the remaining casks.
“I really liked the whisky, and some of the casks were approaching 20 years. It felt like my own children, and I couldn't stand seeing it happen. So, I decided to quit my job, start a company, take over the stocks, and begin making my own whisky.” - Ichiro Akuto to Whisky Advocate
Ichiro saved 400 casks of Hanyu whisky, as well as some of the old Hanyu equipment, and established his own new distillery on the hill of Chichibu— the first new whisky distillery to open in Japan since the 1970s.
Those 400 casks became the rare 54-bottle Malt Card series we know today.
Beginning in 2005, Ichiro started releasing the famed Malt Card series collection. He personally chose each whisky blend behind the 54 cards, ensuring each was as exquisite as it was unique.
Ichiro’s Joker was the grand finale of this legendary series, bottled and released in 2014. Just 14 casks contributed to this release— creating only 3,640 highly collectible bottles of the in-color Joker card bottle, and just 241 of the ultra-rare monochrome Joker card bottle.
The color Joker bottling is a vatting of several casks from vintages ranging from 1985 to 2000, while the monochrome Joker bottling is from a single 1985 vintage Japanese mizunara oak hogshead cask.
Ichiro is as complex as it is rare
Just a dram of this Japanese whisky, if you can find it, can set you back $250 or more. But it’s the full bottles that deliver the true sticker shock.
Today, Ichiro’s Jokers are only available at a handful of auctions or through private sellers. And enthusiasts must pay a pretty penny to add this whisky to their collection.
In September 2022, a bottle of Ichiro’s Joker, from the color series, sold for HKD 47,500 (over $6,000) at a Christie’s auction in Hong Kong. The rarer monochrome Joker sold for much more— HKD 350,000 (nearly $45,000) at the same auction.
To secure a bottle of Ichiro’s Joker for yourself, Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and Whisky Auctioneer offer your best opportunity to find this rare bottle. But bid soon! With less than 4,000 bottles of Ichiro’s Joker released in 2014, the number of bottles still in circulation decreases every year.
If you’re lucky enough to taste Ichiro’s Joker, you’re in for a complex sipping experience. Ichiro’s Joker is a soft, full-flavored whisky with a lengthy finish.
Ichiro’s amber-colored whisky is known for its soft nose and palate feel that develops slowly as you enjoy it. Tasters describe the whisky as having notes of creamy caramel, rich red and black fruits, bitter oranges, spicy cinnamon, and subtle notes of Cognac. This whisky has a lengthy finish, leaving the taster with warm notes of dried fruit, blackberry, and wood.
Ichiro’s Joker is a whisky worth trying both neat and with a splash of water. With water, the taster can enjoy stronger fruit notes and softer spices— revealing a warm butterscotch finish.
A resurgence of Japanese whisky
The success of Ichiro’s Joker, and the full 54-bottle series, marks a turning point for Japanese whisky.
Just two decades ago, demand for Japanese whisky plummeted— shuttering distilleries across the country. But over the past few years, Japan has experienced a resurgence in interest.
Demand for both young and aged whisky has skyrocketed over the past few years. And because many distilleries stopped producing the spirit years ago, supply of Japanese whisky has struggled to keep up with the growing interest, making aged whisky like Ichiro’s even more valuable.
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