A vatting of Karuizawa single malt distilled across five decades, from 1960 to 2000, bottled at 61.0% in an edition of 200 bottles. It puts the distillery's whole working life into one bottle.
About This Whisky
Most Karuizawa was sold cask by cask, so blended vintages are the exception. Five Decades combines spirit from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and the final year of 2000. It was first bottled for the Isetan department store in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Of the 200 bottles, half stayed in Japan and half went abroad, each in a lockable presentation case with keys. The mix shows the arc of the distillery, from the rugged early spirit to the richer 1980s and the brighter last vintages.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Dark sherry and dried fruit, with incense, old oak, cocoa and a trace of smoke.
- Palate: Full and layered. Raisin, dates and orange peel, then spice, leather and firm oak.
- Finish: Long and warming, with dried fruit and wood spice.
Serving & Food
Serve at room temperature in a tulip glass, and compare it neat and then with a little water, since the older and younger parts show differently. Try it with braised short rib, Manchego and membrillo, or a plate of dates and walnuts.
How to Enjoy
A single bottle that spans Karuizawa's history, for tasting the whole distillery at once.
Product Details
Distillery: Karuizawa (closed)
Country: Japan
Region: Miyota, Nagano
Series: Five Decades 1960-2000
Style: Japanese single malt whisky, multi-vintage vatting
Vintages: 1960s to 2000
Edition Size: 200 bottles
Presentation: Lockable presentation case with keys
ABV: 61.0%
Volume: 700mL
About the Distillery
Karuizawa ran for 45 years, and its spirit changed over that time. The earliest stock has a smoky grunt, the 1980s are often seen as its peak for complexity, and the late years are more supple, with ex-bourbon casks used alongside the traditional sherry wood.
Kirin took over the owner, Mercian, in 2006, mainly for its wine business, several years after the stills had gone cold. Whisky writers now use Karuizawa as the standard example of a Japanese distillery that became famous only after it closed.