Chichibu 7EVEN Gods of Fortune — Edition 1 (Ebisu, Cask #7075, 64.5% ABV, 220 Bottles) + Edition 2 (Hotei, Cask #6066, 62.6% ABV, 171 Bottles) | 2 x 70cl | Japanese Single Malt

The 7EVEN Gods of Fortune series is one of the most artistically and spiritually considered independent bottling projects in Japanese whisky — a collaboration between Salud Spirits (Netherlands) and Chichibu Distillery, releasing seven single cask expressions inspired by the Shichi Fukujin: Japan's Seven Gods of Fortune, who have been worshipped across the country for centuries. Each edition is dedicated to a specific deity, features bespoke artwork by Dutch digital artist warbb, and draws on a single cask of Chichibu distilled in 2016. This two-bottle lot brings together the first two editions of the series side by side — Ebisu and Hotei — both bottled in 2022 at natural cask strength, both in exceptionally small outturns, and together representing the opening chapter of one of the most collectible Japanese whisky series of the decade.

Lot Details
- Distillery: Chichibu, Chichibu City, Saitama, Japan
- Series: 7EVEN Gods of Fortune
- Lot: Edition 1 (Ebisu) + Edition 2 (Hotei) — 2 x 70cl
- Bottler / Distributor: Salud Spirits
- Artwork: Dutch digital artist warbb
- Condition: Both bottles perfect, with original presentation boxes

Bottle 1 — Edition 1: Ebisu (God of Luck)
Ebisu is the god of fishermen, merchants, and good fortune — the smiling, cheerful deity most commonly depicted holding a sea bream. This single second-fill ex-bourbon ex-peated barrel was distilled in 2016 and bottled in 2022 at a formidable 64.5% ABV, yielding just 220 bottles.

- Cask: Single second-fill ex-bourbon / ex-peated barrel — Cask #7075
- Vintage: 2016 | Bottled: 2022
- ABV: 64.5% | Outturn: 220 bottles

Tasting Notes: Immediate fruity, zesty freshness — yuzu, preserved lemons, and sandalwood with a soft minerality and pastry dough on the nose. Perfectly buttery mouthfeel with tropical fruit leading — pineapple, mango, papaya — underpinned by white pepper and the gentle ghost of peated spirit from the cask's previous life.

Bottle 2 — Edition 2: Hotei (God of Contentment and Happiness)
Hotei is the laughing, rotund god of abundance — depicted carrying an enormous sack of treasures and radiating warmth and good cheer. This single ex-bourbon barrel was distilled in 2016 and bottled in 2022 at 62.6% ABV, yielding just 171 bottles — the smallest outturn of the first two editions.

- Cask: Single ex-bourbon barrel — Cask #6066
- Vintage: 2016 | Bottled: 2022
- ABV: 62.6% | Outturn: 171 bottles

Tasting Notes: Powerful and layered — tropical fruit, intense spice, and concentrated bourbon cask sweetness. Ripe and lush at cask strength, with the classic Chichibu signature of fruit-forward intensity and clean, precise distillation evident throughout.

Why This Lot Is Worth Bidding On
- Chichibu is the most celebrated young Japanese distillery in the world, founded by Ichiro Akuto in 2008 — single cask releases at cask strength are allocated in tiny quantities and sell out immediately on release.
- With only 220 and 171 bottles respectively, Editions 1 and 2 of the 7EVEN series are among the smallest legitimate Japanese whisky outturns available anywhere. The window to acquire both together in a single lot is extraordinarily rare.
- The 7EVEN Gods of Fortune series is now a completed, seven-part collection — its status as a finished series will only strengthen collector demand for the earliest editions over time.