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3rd May 2013 |
Karuizawa
1960 Single Cask No. 5627, probably the
oldest and most expensive Japanese
whisky launched to date.
 For single malt enthusiasts and
collectors the world over the long wait
is over; UK-based Number One Drinks Co
have launched Karuizawa
1960, Cask No. 5627 which is the oldest
whisky in the full Karuizawa inventory that Number One
Drinks purchased in 2011.
The bottling is "probably the oldest and
most expensive Japanese whisky launched
to date", the company claims.
Cask No. 5627 is a sherry oak hogshead
(250l) and the oldest in the inventory;
each of the 41 bottles (53.2% ABV) tells
a compelling story. Built in 1955
Karuizawa was created to make whisky in
the most traditional manner possible;
imported barley from Scotland, small
stills and sherry casks for maturation
all contributed to the house style,
‘stout like a soldier’. The whisky was
distilled with a view to being a key
component of the blends Mercian supplied
to an increasingly interested domestic
market. That it is available as a
venerable single cask single malt is
down to serendipity. The whisky industry
is punctuated by periods of boom and
bust and it was the latter which led to
Karuizawa ceasing production in 2000.
Kirin, a significant brewer, had
acquired Mercian principally for its
wine business rather than whisky.
The entire inventory would have been
lost had the directors of Number One
Drinks not entered into prolonged
negotiations to secure the last
remaining 364 casks of mature whisky.
Number One Drinks has been handling
single cask sales of Karuizawa since
2006 and was determined to ensure these
precious casks of Japanese liquid
history should be preserved. In August
2011 the stock acquisition was
finalised. The casks were transported to
Chichibu distillery and in February 2012
the directors of Number One Drinks
arranged the last ever visit to
Karuizawa distillery.
According to Malt Maniac, Serge Valentin;
"Unlike virtually any other ‘world
distillery’, Karuizawa has almost become
‘Scotch’, that is to say a name that’s
now seen by most die-hard whisky geeks…
as equivalent to big names such as
Ardbeg, Lagavulin or Springbank. Or
rather Brora or Port Ellen, as sadly,
Karuizawa has been closed for more or
less ten years." He also refers to
tasting the 1960 as "an emotional
journey". Described by Alice Lascelles
in Financial Times, How To Spend It as
“imposing and muscular, with dense
flavours of prune, soot and torn bark,
lifted unexpectedly by eucalyptus and a
hint of wet, white rose petals, it is a
fascinating drink. The understated
bottle… is distinguished in a market
that can be on the blingy side.” Mark
Gillespie of Whiskycast which, with over
half a million listeners, is the most
popular whisky podcast in the world,
states; "One of the finest whiskies I’ve
ever tasted. 98/100."
The oldest Japanese whisky in the world
should be handled with the upmost
respect. Designed and produced by
Edinburgh studio, Contagious, each
element of the packaging has been
carefully crafted. The paper has been
handmade by Norito Hasegawa, a third
generation papermaker, and then
embellished by multi-award winning
calligrapher, Soji Nishimoto. Modelled
on traditional Japanese puzzle boxes and
handmade by an accomplished British
cabinetmaker, the box has been adorned
with pieces from the original ex-sherry
cask head. Shipped over from Karuizawa,
these plaques have then been branded by
searing the cask with red hot metal.
Each of the 41 bottles one has been
faithfully named after the unique
netsuke that hangs from the neck of the
double-layered glass. All coordinated by
the team in Edinburgh and Kiyo Humm, a
consultant in London, this has been a
collaboration of the finest artists to
pay homage to one of the rarest and most
prestigious of all Japanese whiskies.
Karuizawa 1960 Cask No. 5627 is available
in the UK from
The Whisky Exchange at
£12,500 per bottle. Other distribution
partners are La Maison du Whisky in
France, Magny International in Taiwan
and Whisk-e in Japan.
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Ardbog
Tasting Notes
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Dave Broom, who
wrote the accompanying hand-made
booklet, offers the following tasting
notes:
Colour:
Deep amber.
Nose: Subtle power. Rich, layered and perfumed and a little
reminiscent of ancient Brandy de Jerez.
Plenty of roasted spices and tobacco
which shift into sandalwood incense. In
time, some crystallised ginger emerges
along with a savoury edge which brings
to mind sun-dried tomato. It becomes
more velvety as it continues to open,
fluxing between damask rose and, at its
height, a fungal, mossy note like old
woods in autumn.
Taste: Very pure with the distillate still fresh and
remarkably vibrant and the wood not
overly dominant. The tannins, while
there, simply give support to the dense
black fruits, while the smoke begins to
develop towards the back of the palate.
Finish: The smoke continues as we once again enter that
mysterious forest. Like many old
whiskies this is best neat – a glass of
ice cold water on the side would be the
ideal serve.
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Where To Buy Karuizawa Japanese Whisky Online
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Select a country for a list
of specialist Whisky shops who delivers
to you:
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Whisky Focus
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