Chichibu Paris Edition 2026: How Do the Six Monet Bottles Differ?

The six bottles of the Chichibu Paris Edition 2026 Collection Monet hold exactly the same whisky, a vatting of 14 casks bottled at 50.5% ABV, and differ only in the Claude Monet painting on the label and in their bottle numbers: Jaune (The Japanese Bridge, 1896), Vert (The Water Lily Pond, 1899), Rose (The Water Lily Pond, Symphony in Rose, 1900), Rouge (The Water Lily Pond, 1900), Orange (Japanese Bridge in Giverny, 1900) and Bleu (The Water Lily Pond and Path by the Water, 1900). The edition totals 2,484 bottles, 414 under each label, and was made by Chichibu for La Maison du Whisky in Paris.

Key Takeaways

• All six bottles contain the same single malt: 14 casks of first and second fill bourbon barrels, oloroso hogsheads and new American oak, bottled at 50.5% ABV in 2026.
• The only differences are the Monet painting on the label and the range of bottle numbers.
• There are 2,484 bottles in total, 414 under each of the six labels.
• Three paintings are in museums (the Musée d'Orsay, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Princeton University Art Museum) and three in private collections.
• The release falls in 2026, a hundred years after Monet died in December 1926.

Tip: Because the whisky is the same in every bottle, choose by the painting you would like to look at on your shelf, or by the number range if low numbers matter to you. The yellow label holds numbers 1 to 414.

One Whisky Under Six Labels

Every year La Maison du Whisky, the Paris whisky house founded in 1956, asks Chichibu for a bottling dedicated to Paris. For 2026 the theme is Claude Monet: six of his paintings, most of them from his water garden at Giverny, each dress one label of the same whisky. The French retailers selling the release put it plainly: the whisky is identical under all six labels.

Chichibu itself is a young distillery. It was founded by Ichiro Akuto, whose company Venture Whisky started in 2004, and it began distilling in 2008. Its releases go out under the name Ichiro's Malt, which is printed on each Monet label above the word CHICHIBU.

The Whisky Inside All Six Bottles

The whisky is a small batch of 14 casks: first and second fill bourbon barrels, oloroso hogsheads and new American oak. It was bottled in 2026 at 50.5% ABV.

The tasting notes published with the release in France describe a fine, smooth nose with an almost candied lemony freshness, a delicate and lively palate that is lemony and indulgent, and a smooth, broad finish with milky notes of coconut and rice pudding. Those notes apply to every one of the six bottles.

The Six Labels Side by Side

The table lists the six labels in the order of their bottle numbers, with the painting and collection exactly as printed on each label.

Label	Painting on the label	Year	Held by	Bottle numbers
Monet Jaune	The Japanese Bridge	1896	A private collection	1 to 414
Monet Vert	The Water Lily Pond	1899	The Princeton University Art Museum	415 to 828
Monet Rose	The Water Lily Pond, Symphony in Rose	1900	The Musée d'Orsay in Paris	829 to 1,242
Monet Rouge	The Water Lily Pond	1900	A private collection	1,243 to 1,656
Monet Orange	Japanese Bridge in Giverny	1900	The Art Institute of Chicago	1,657 to 2,070
Monet Bleu	The Water Lily Pond and Path by the Water	1900	A private collection	2,071 to 2,484

Each Label in Turn

Monet Jaune: The Japanese Bridge, 1896

The yellow label carries the earliest painting of the six, a view of Monet's Japanese bridge dated 1896 and held in a private collection. Its bottles start the numbering, from 1 to 414, so it holds the lowest numbers in the whole edition.

Monet Vert: The Water Lily Pond, 1899

The green label shows The Water Lily Pond from 1899, a painting now in the Princeton University Art Museum. It is the cool, leafy one of the set, and its bottles are numbered 415 to 828.

Monet Rose: The Water Lily Pond, Symphony in Rose, 1900

The pink label reproduces The Water Lily Pond, Symphony in Rose from 1900, which hangs in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. It is the only painting of the six held in a Paris museum, which fits an edition made for Paris. Its bottles are numbered 829 to 1,242.

Monet Rouge: The Water Lily Pond, 1900

The red label also uses a Water Lily Pond from 1900, this one in a private collection, with the warmest red and orange tones of the set. Its bottles are numbered 1,243 to 1,656.

Monet Orange: Japanese Bridge in Giverny, 1900

The orange label shows Japanese Bridge in Giverny from 1900, held by the Art Institute of Chicago, with the bridge and the water lilies in deep green and gold. Its bottles are numbered 1,657 to 2,070.

Monet Bleu: The Water Lily Pond and Path by the Water, 1900

The blue label carries The Water Lily Pond and Path by the Water from 1900, from a private collection, with purple and green willow tones. It closes the numbering, from 2,071 to 2,484.

How to Choose Between Them

With the same whisky in every bottle, the choice comes down to the label. Some collectors pick the painting they like best. Others look for meaning: the Rose label is the one painting from a Paris museum, the Jaune label is the earliest painting and carries the lowest numbers, and the Bleu label carries the last bottle of the edition.

Collectors who want the full story of the release go for all six, since together the labels form one series of 2,484 numbered bottles. If you plan to open one and keep the rest, the labels make it easy to tell the set apart on the shelf.

Tip: Keep the bottle number in mind when you compare listings. Each label has its own number range, so the number on the label tells you straight away which of the six bottles you are looking at.

FAQ

Is the whisky different in the six Chichibu Paris Edition 2026 bottles?

No. All six hold the same vatting of 14 casks at 50.5% ABV. Only the Monet painting on the label and the bottle numbers change.

How many bottles of the Chichibu Paris Edition 2026 exist?

2,484 bottles in total, split into six labels of 414 bottles each.

Which casks were used?

First and second fill bourbon barrels, oloroso hogsheads and new American oak, 14 casks in all.

Which Monet painting on the labels hangs in Paris?

The Water Lily Pond, Symphony in Rose from 1900, on the Rose label, is held by the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

Who is behind the Paris Edition?

Chichibu distillery makes the whisky, and La Maison du Whisky in Paris commissions a Paris Edition from Chichibu each year.