Suntory virtually defines the beverage business in Japan. Founded in 1899 to import and distribute wine, they quickly branched out into their own products. Then, in 1923, they stepped into the nearly sacrilegious effort of distilling a Single Malt Whisky in Japan. Since then, Suntory has expanded through home grown brands and the acquisition of established business around the world. They produce dozens of Whiskeys, Beers, Liqueurs, and soft drinks that span the globe.
Suntory owns and operates dozens of distilleries. But theChita Distilleryis perhaps their most secretive. We do know a few things though. It is their "grain" distillery — meaning that it is used for making whole grain (non-malted) Spirits from wheat, rye, and some barley. We also know that nearly all of its production goes into Suntory blends — especially some of their higher-priced, premium offerings. But Suntory The Chita Single Grain Whisky is the first stand-alone Whisky that reflects the true nature of this hidden, exotic place. And it is a savory, sweet, and lovely place indeed.
Smartass Corner: Suntory really tries to keep this distillery away from public view. In fact, it was reported that when a local Whisky blogger in Japan was making a map of all the distilleries in Japan, an executive at Suntory called and asked him to keep Chita off the map.
The Flavor Spiral™ shows the most common flavors that you'll taste in Suntory The Chita Whisky and gives you a chance to have a taste of it before actually tasting it.
We invented Flavor Spiral™ here at Flaviar to get all your senses involved in tasting drinks and, frankly, because we think that classic tasting notes are boring.
Dog Dogson's
Smartass Corner
The two biggest Whisky producers in Japan are Nikka and Suntory, major rivals.
This one was incredibly spicy for me. Almost undrinkable. I think this would be better mixed with something else or used for cooking.
Eric,
Favorite whiskey
John,
Savory, sweet, approachable indeed! A good bottle for friends that enjoy a lighter touch. Especially lovey is the mango finish
Antony,
Sweet. Almost a “desert whisky”. Has its place.
Tom,
Lot up front that mellows quickly, caramel in the middle, bit of a bitter aftertaste that eventually mellows.
Antti,
Very soft and smooth. Liked it a lot.
Huat,
Very mild on the nose but very sweet on the palate. The finish is not long. Very interesting whisky for daily drink
Temis,
Really chocolate-y taste for me. Finish is smooth, but sweet.
Kenneth,
I enjoy having this one every now and then. Sweet, sugar and spice, a bit dry. Vanilla in the mix, and a flowery finish.
Tommy,
Excellent
Steph,
Absolutely love it. Soft on the nose and the sweet mango notes are very refreshing and incredibly smooth. Hard not to keep going back for more.
Ignacio,
Long drink, after dinner taste, balanced mouth. Maybe too sweet at the end. Finally: GREAT OPTION.
Rafael,
😍
Vratislav,
Very mild(smooth), while still retaining the oak taste. One would say it's a "girlish" whiskey (even my wife liked it :)), so I can imagine that enthusiasts of "traditional" whiskeys might not enjoy it so much.
Jurgis,
Fruity, sweet, cpicy. Fresh/refreshing taste
Ross,
I didn't find it overly fruity/sweet - surprisingly. A nice, smooth drink - could have a few of them easily
Jan,
Very Good
Alistair,
Definitely on the fruiter side of whisky but still a pleasant drink and smooth enough it doesn't stop you wanting more (an evening sipper or probably a good pudding accompaniment)
Robert,
I really enjoy this whisky. It's smooth and rich and flavorful with a mild tingle on the tongue and warmth in the chest. I would like to enjoy this one again.
Luis,
Fruity at first, then sweet but without overwhelming with it. I’m not the one to like grape taste in whiskey but this one kept it balanced all the way.
Mazen,
Smooooth
Stijn,
Very sweet and fruity, bit to much for my liking but pleasant
Erik,
Fruity and full of flavors
Hampus,
Very nice and round flavors of caramel and fruit
Amelia,
Citrus, sweet, vanilla
Stjepan,
Very smooth, very fruity. Love it.
Mortimer,
Smooth, classy and tasty drink(s) ! Glasses of the Chita don't come solo, always have to come back to it !
Blaine,
Very easy on the nose. Taste is very smooth. easy finish but full of flavor. Sadly unable to find it anywhere in the US. Not sure why Flaviar would put something in a tasting box and its not available. Now I need to find someone traveling to Japan to bring a bottle back for me.
Rich,
Smooth start, very little aftertaste or bite, definitely taste the sweet
Richard,
Very good whisky for the price point. I'm not sure where in the US you can get this. I bought two bottles in Japan. It's a very smooth and subtle grain whiskey. This is one of the whisky's used in the Hibiki blend. It is not a super complex flavor and has a very light coloring. I pick up vanilla, honey and apples. It has no smokiness, this is not the whisky that gives the Hibiki the smokiness. It's the lighter more delicate component.
Dwight,
Personally found this to be an exceptional whiskey. One of the best I’ve tasted yet. It’ll go into the regular rotation as well as gift ideas.
Stuart,
Nice, sit in the evening sun with this in your glass
Scott,
Honestly my favorite whisky tasted to date. I found the honey notes especially pronounced (more so than something like Hibiki or Toki). I only wish they had US market bottles available.
Brian,
Perfect for summer sipping.
Antti,
It is a very good, Japanese single grain whisky that has an aromatic birth; while a rich life leads to a zesty death of medium length.
Fabian,
Light easy drinking whisky, found the fruit more pronounced with a sweet taste. I like this for a change in whisky as they're usually not sweet.
Lawrence,
Surprising grape fruit. Almost aromatic but a bad childhood medicine
Thomas,
Light but smooth
David,
Decent flavor
Nicholas,
If you like a fruity whiskey this is for you. A bit sweet, but overall a good.
Justin,
Not memorable. Too much fruity-ness that that lingers for too long, leaving a bitter taste in the back of your mouth.
Kristy,
I enjoy the mellow taste of the Chita. I definitely can taste the flavor of the wood it was aged in, but it isn't overpowering. I enjoy it on ice with a splash of water.
James,
Favourite Japanese whisky to date, flavour at the back of the palate and the end of a sip makes it very tasty and easy drinking!
James,
Light and flavorful whiskey
Peter,
Hint of mango, sweet finish. Really liking this one.
Lea,
Fruity, mango, sweet lingering flavor
Denis,
Very good combination
Nakeva,
Smooth, sweet, great finish. Loved that it had zero oak/wood/smokey in the mix. Would be great at end of a rough day or after a meal to settle down with happy.
guest,
Leicht. Scharf. Caramel bis zitronig...
Leif,
A good pop up front and quick finish.
Tomasz,
Very phenomenal taste, mysterious as the country it comes from. The finish is surprising ...
Tomasz,
Wery good
Paul,
Very savoury
Jason,
Good stuff!
Chris,
Very smooth and tasty. One of my favorites
Mike,
Haven’t had a whole lot of Japanese whisky but this is one of the better samples I’ve had. It’s flavors are refined might even say delicate. Sweet but citrusy with a slight spiciness but the finish wanes to just a dry alcohol taste
Dan,
Great smooth whiskey. Perfect for sipping.
Chris,
Similar to Nikka Coffee Grain. Both are excellent grain whiskies with big, unique flavors.
Mike,
A new taste to whisky, love it.
Mark,
Mango, grains with a bright woody flavor. Best if sipped. Not my favorite , especially compared to Nikka Super Rare Old.
Brian,
Light and fresh. Mellow and smooth with complex flavors of honey, caramel, and citrus. Water tones down the citrus and in my case made it have a burnt s’mores flavor. Best neat.
Michael,
First gain whisky very fruitful but not overwhelming sweet
Kevin,
Great taste; sweetness limits the palate. Fruity, smooth.
Chad,
First Japanese and single grain whiskey. Very smooth. Sweet but not overly sweet.
Rolf,
My first single grain but it's very smooth and tasty, maybe a little bitter in the end, but worth buying!
alexey,
Fresh fruits on the nose, rich sweet cream and oak on the pallet. Aftertaste is long and fruity. Very special and enjoyable.
Jason,
Smooth whiskey with great flavor.
Lee,
Not the biggest fan... very “alcohol” rather than spirit taste ... rough and not very smooth ..
Sophia,
Smooth, medium body, with just the right amount of smoke. Could use a little more complexity and mineraliness.
Luis,
Unique, but not memorable. Has a strong flavor of tropical fruits, a noticeable blend of apricot and mango. On the sweeter side, it is a pleasant drink to sip - but a bit underpowered.
Sandra,
Wonderful light and sweet taste. Smooth and warming. I definitely need to get a bottle of this, the sample just isn't enough!
Raoul,
Nice mango!
Johan,
Easygoing sweet and fruity.
Mark,
Not the best. A little harsh
Dave,
Just a little better than Toki. Maybe I don't like Japanese Grain whisky?
George,
Light, fruity. Not overly complex but doesn’t pretend to be. A very straightforward, unpretentious dram
Chris,
Best Japanese whisky I've had so far
Jim,
Enjoyed this light, sweet whiskey. Has a a pronounced citrus vibe, with obvious hints of sherry and honey.
Kay,
If you're already a whisky drinker, you need to throw what you know out of the window. This whisky will give you aromas and flavors you never expect. It has a sweetness reminiscent of a well made dessert--not at all cloying and seasoned just right. This whisky has a surprising amount of body and thickness to the mouthfeel. The finish leaves much to be desired as I expected more of an exclamation rather than a tapering off of already existing flavors. I'd liken it to the experience of seeing one great ball of fireworks with no follow up. If you like a super long, complex finish, this one definitely isn't for you. But if you like an incredibly smooth, elegant and easy to drink whisky, then this will be perfect for you. Definitely a crowd pleaser.
Trista,
Sweet, with a bit. Wanting more body.
Martin,
Interesting woodsy lemon aroma. Light flavor with a long citrus aftertaste. Great for sipping in the evening. Very little bite on the opening taste. A great sipping whisky. I certainly enjoyed it.
Michael,
Nose is very light with lemon zest and banana being most apparent. Flavors are bright and candy-sweet up front, before progressing into almost tropical fruit notes (I'm noticing fruitiness as a common theme in Japanese Whisky.) Prominent grain-y flavors come in before the finish, which is medium long, dry and just a touch tart. Mouth-feel is slightly oily. This one was a bit of a head-scratcher for me... It's very outside the profile I usually associate with 'whisky,' (or 'whiskey' for that matter). It's well made and quite unique, but probably not a go-to for me. I do think it could be very interesting as a mixer.
Dave,
Great start to your night. Light and refreshing.
Steve,
Normally I will take a couple of drinks to get the full flavor of a whisky, and then mix it. Before I knew it, this sample was gone. Looking forward to exploring more Japanese whiskies.
Shawn,
Interesting. Could not place the mango flavor until viewing the spiral. I enjoyed the unique flavor of this one but not sure I could drink this regularly.
Thomas,
Pretty good for pretty cheap. Lots of flavor best on ice or with soda water for the traditional style in Japan.
Tom,
Not for me
Alyssa,
Love it!
Mat,
Cinnamon, spices, vanilla. Surprising taste given subtle aroma and smell!
Eduardo,
A bit warm at the beginning, notes of tropical fruits, grain and wood, honey and merengue. When it touches the palate is warm and a sweet note invades all the mouth. Medium long finish.
guest,
Quite agressive, honey taste
guest,
Sweet sense of honey, round and mild
Trevor,
A nice baseline for Japanese whiskies. Very easy to drink more than you should.