A 25-year-old Karuizawa from sherry butt #2541, bottled in 2010 for the Taiwanese market under a tiger label. It came out at 58.9% and filled 547 bottles.
About This Whisky
This cask was distilled in 1985 and bottled in 2010, early in the run of single-cask Karuizawas that followed the closure. At 25 it is younger than most of the famous releases, but a quarter century in a sherry butt at altitude gave it plenty of colour and weight. The tiger artwork was made for Taiwan, where demand for Karuizawa grew quickly around that time. With 547 bottles it was a full-sized outturn.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Raisin, prune and sherry-soaked oak, with lacquer, cocoa and a hint of orange peel.
- Palate: Powerful and chewy. Stewed plum, roasted nuts and chocolate, lifted by a little spice.
- Finish: Long, warm and tannic, with dried fruit fading into oak.
Serving & Food
Take it at room temperature in a nosing glass. A teaspoon of water softens the 58.9% and lets the orange come through. Try it with Peking duck skin and hoisin, walnuts or a slice of rich fruit cake.
How to Enjoy
Drinkers who want a full sherry Karuizawa at 25 years, and collectors of the Taiwan animal labels.
Product Details
Distillery: Karuizawa (closed)
Label: Tiger, bottled for Taiwan
Vintage: 1985
Bottled: 2010
Age: 25 years old
Cask: Sherry butt #2541
Edition Size: 547 bottles
ABV: 58.9%
Country: Japan
Volume: 700mL
About the Distillery
Place mattered at Karuizawa. The warehouses stood at about 850 metres, near the resort town of Karuizawa and in the shadow of Mount Asama, an active volcano. Summers were mild and winters cold, and the air was often damp with mist.
In those conditions water tends to evaporate from the cask faster than alcohol, so the strength stays up. That is why so many Karuizawas past 25 years still come out near or above 60%.