When it comes to the luxury crafts of watchmaking and distillation, certain nations become renowned for creating the most desirable products. Switzerland has its watchmaking industry and the Gaelic countries of Scotland and Ireland have their whiskies. However, in both watches and whiskies the country that comes in a close second for reputation is Japan. One of the most interesting Japanese distilleries is that of Karuizawa, which stopped operations in 2000 and finally closed in 2011 making the existing stock highly sought after. So, let’s examine a couple of rare bottles.
The comparison between Japan’s watchmaking and whisky distilling skills is especially relevant for Karuizawa as the distillery is based in the town of Miyota. Miyota is also the name of iconic calibre manufacture that rivals the likes of Sellita, ETA. Although, as a small distillery at the peak of its game it’s perhaps more comparable to the finest work from Grand Seiko’s studios.
The first of the exceptional bottles available is a 35-year Karuizawa Vintage Cask 8383. It’s a single malt distilled in 1978 and bottled in 2014 for LMDW. It might seem off that it was bottled after the decline of the distillery itself and by a fellow competitor, however that’s part of the charm of high profile Karuizawa bottles. The original Karuizawa casks have been used for many different versions across the years and there are differences in general across distilleries with casks being shared. In this case, the casks have been bought and bottled and turned into independent releases as well as the luxurious drink we see today.
On the nose it starts somewhat acetic, in part due to the ex-bourbon cask as opposed to Karuizawa’s lauded sherry cask liquids but given time in the glass it matures into tones of fudge, marmalade and butterscotch. And it’s a similar story on the palate, a medicinal overtone but creamy like honey with those marmalade notes and saved from being too sweet with a citric edge highlighted by ginger and cinnamon. Certainly, recommended slightly watered to tone down the medicinal edge but a fine liquid straight as well. It’s available for €17,000 (approx. £14,300).
Second of the Karuizawa whiskies you can find is one closer to the epitome of the distillery’s talents. That’s because the 32-year Noh Cask is a sherry butt based liquid, which is an area of whisky the distillery was well known for, especially in the 1960s. A single bottle of the 52-year version called Single Cask 5627 fetched close to £90,000 at auction in 2015.
As for the 32-year’s flavour profile, it leans towards its sherry origins faintly and the most common description of the liquid favours its elements of chocolate, coffee and dark forest fruits. It’s not perceived as the finest example but is certainly no wilting daisy either and the packaging is lovely. The name Noh Cask comes from the fact it features an image of a traditional Noh mask, related to Noh theatre.
While having a slow start once it was bottled in 2013, it has been picking up in price following the boost in popularity Karuizawa has experienced recently. Meaning that in today’s markets it sits at a value of €27,830 (approx. £23,450) for a prime example in perfect condition. Both the Noh Cask and Vintage Cask whiskies are available at Best of Wines.
Another well known family of Karuizawa whiskies is the Geisha label collection. There are several notable bottles within this group such as the 38-year Ruby Geisha and 31-year Sapphire Geisha. Together or separately the pair are highly collectible, they exemplify Karuizawa’s single sherry cask whiskies. Once again, it’s a careful balance of sweet and savoury notes.
All whiskies are available at Best of Wines.
