Cuvée presentation
A lot of two Karuizawa 1965 single casks, one bourbon and the other sherry, bottled in 2016 for the 60th anniversary of La Maison du Whisky.
A single cask (#8636) of Karuizawa distilled in 1965, aged in a bourbon barrel and bottled in 2016. A nuanced fruitiness that combines varied elements that feel at times classic, at others exotic, floral notes develop depth and complexity, rare spices lend it an abundance of zest and vitality, and most notably of all, a woodiness so perfectly integrated that you could almost mistake it for being absent; this being its charm. These are just a selection of the characteristics that provide this Karuizawa’s aromatic and flavour profile a great deal of freshness and youthful expression. To this list must be added a tremendous romance that evokes the single malts of times gone by, but without dwelling on the past. A limited edition of 199 bottles.
Profile: Both earthy and sunny, the nose evokes a field of ripe barley before developing into exotic and spicy notes with a hint of cherry brandy. The wonderfully-balanced palate unveils notes of blood oranges and mauve lilacs, before developing with more exotic notes of mango, and pineapple.
A single cask (#2372) of Karuizawa distilled in 1965, aged in a sherry cask and bottled in 2016. This generous and abundant Karuizawa delights in spinning tales, allowing the taster’s imagination to wander to distant lands, drawing in the rich olfactory and gustatory sensations. In this respect, it follows in the purest tradition of this extraordinary single malt. A limited edition of 309 bottles.
Profile: The initial aroma is perfectly balanced, alternating between notes of vanilla, dried fruits and honey before developing into more spicy and floral notes, such as reseda. Its lean palate is spicy, heady and decidedly light and elegant with magnificent shades of brown, orange, green and yellow.
The distillery Karuizawa
Japan, Nagano. Distillery closed and dismantled.
Mothballed in the early 2000s, Karuizawa closed definitively in Spring 2012. Located at the foot of one of Japan's most active volcanoes, Mont Asama, Karuizawa began distilling in 1956. Equipped with small direct coal-fired stills, Karuizawa produced a robust, full-bodied malt that took perfectly to long maturation in ex-sherry casks from Spain (first fill) and Scotland (second fill, such as Mortlach). Karuizawa was a malt distilled to produce the Ocean blends of the Daikoku group. Bottlings of single malts were at the time reserved for the distillery's visitor centre and a handful of private clients. These hand-bottled versions were offered as cask strength, single cask vintages. Only what was needed for the bottling was removed from the cask, with the rest left to continue ageing in barrel. This practice explains why the same barrel can exist in various bottlings of different ages and versions. This means that the 1970 cask #6177 exists under two labels, one a 31 Year Old Distillery Edition (2002) and the other a 42 Year Old Vintage Single Cask Edition (2012). It was under the aegis of Number One Drinks, who bought the 300 or so barrels still available at the distillery in 2006, that Karuizawa joined the ranks of legend.
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