A 1975 Karuizawa from sherry butt #6736, bottled in June 2010 for La Maison du Whisky and the Whisky Live Paris show that year. It came out at 61.8% after 35 years, with 581 bottles.
About This Whisky
This cask belongs to the first wave of post-closure single casks, bottled at the distillery while it still had staff on site. In late 2010 the Malt Maniacs, an independent panel of whisky writers, gave it one of the three gold medals Karuizawa won at their awards that year. Tasters describe a deep, old-school sherry style, powerful but still drinkable without water, with plum, balsamic and cherry syrup over old wood and a faint thread of wood smoke.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Old sherry and furniture polish, with leather, dry tobacco, dried plum and a hint of balsamic.
- Palate: Big and warming. Cherry syrup, plum and sandalwood, then pepper, cinnamon and a touch of aniseed.
- Finish: Long and spicy, with dried red fruit and old oak.
Serving & Food
Try it neat first in a small nosing glass at cellar temperature, since it holds its strength well. Add water in drops only if the spice feels sharp. Serve with Iberian ham, walnut bread or dark chocolate with sea salt.
How to Enjoy
An old 1970s Karuizawa sherry butt, the kind of cask that built the distillery's reputation in Europe.
Product Details
Distillery: Karuizawa (closed)
Country: Japan
Region: Miyota, Nagano
Category: Single cask Japanese single malt whisky
Vintage: 1975
Bottled: June 2010
Age: 35 years
Cask: Sherry butt #6736
Bottled For: La Maison du Whisky, Whisky Live Paris 2010
Edition Size: 581 bottles
ABV: 61.8%
Proof: 123.6
Volume: 700mL
About the Distillery
Until 2012, bottles filled at Karuizawa carried a plain white label with the distillery stamp and cask number. The distillation year, bottling date and strength were written by hand, together with the name of the person who checked the bottle.
That check was signed off beside the name of Yoshiyuki Nakazato, the last manager of the distillery before it closed. Those plain white labels, rather than any art design, were how Karuizawa first reached drinkers in France, through La Maison du Whisky.