Karuizawa is the gold standard for rare Japanese whisky. The distillery closed its doors in 2011, although it had not been producing whisky for over a decade.

This particular whisky from Karuizawa was aged in a 400 litre ex-bourbon cask #8183 for an impressive 42 years, and is exceptionally rich with notes of vanilla and coconut. Bottled 2012.

Type: Japanese whisky
Distillery: Karuizawa
Distilled: 1969
Bottled: 2012
Age: 42 years
Cask type: Bourbon
Cask number: #8183
Strength: 61,3%
Size: 700 ml
Number of bottles produced: 426
Bottler: Original bottling for La Maison du Whisky
Single bourbon cask and cask strength

Tasting notes

NOSE
Its floral depth: pink, lilac, cornflower, tuberose, iris, changing the leather and chocolate milk. Spices that Karuizawa come from a high-powered distillate. There cumin, cloves, nutmeg and cardamom. The malted barley is present. It operates in the baked apple and citrus.
PALATE
Dense, original. It varies between oak tannins, spices and salted butter caramel. Vanilla, coconut and heady flowers (geranium, lily) exacerbate the mid-palate. Fine, it operates on fresh tobacco, nuts and other flowers (violet, jasmine).
FINISH
Long, heady. A note highlights the soot aging in bourbon casks. The iris concrete, marmalade, hazelnut, quince jelly, lavender honey, saffron and ripe apples before a heady smell fresh and retro at the same time. Once empty, the glass still testifies to the presence of Karuizawa.