Karuizawa tasting notes
KARUIZAWA SINGLE CASK 1986, 60.7% ABV
(Cask No. 7387 - bottled in 2008)
Colour: Throbbing amber. Golden highlights.
Nose: Intense, indeed incense with a suggestion of gentleman’s moustache wax. Resinous then a mix of crystallised fruits, dried fig, cep, cassia, diluted tamarind paste. Exotic! There’s smoke and and increased spiciness with time. Water brings out a dried citrus peel note, the waxiness continues alongside a hint of tarragon dried peach. Fresher but still mysterious.
Palate: Intense. Picks up blazing heat as it progresses, before the smoke starts to reveal itself. Slight astringency on the sides of the mouth. After the initial burn the dried fruits come to the fore. Things calm down a little with water allowing a better (physical) spread of flavours and less bitterness. Scented: rosewood, light chocolate and dried mint. The richness just holds the tannic grip at bay.
Finish: Dry, fairly short and slightly tannic when neat. Dilute there’s more spiciness (cinnamon in particular). Still quite tight and dry though in time there’s fresh menthol. This is one for a cigar, or given the moustache wax, a pipe.
DAVE BROOM
EXPECT TO PAY: £82
KARUIZAWA SINGLE CASK 1971, 64.1% ABV
(Cask No. 6878 - bottled in 2007)
Nose: Resinous. Myrrh. Beeswax polish and a touch of incense. Becomes fragrant and oily with tea and leather. Profound and strange with an almost bloodly edge to it. Evolved, mature, complex.
Palate: The resinous quality continues with smoke, black walnut, long pepper, Bolivar cigar. Needs water and benefits from it. Old, with a firm grip.
Finish: Long, exotic and strange.
Comment: Should only be consumed in small amounts by consenting adults. Highest recommendation.
DAVE BROOM
Nose: A rich, expansive nose of sherry – deliciously fruity, with orange marmalade, molasses and a background earthy note. With time, the fruits soften to orange fondant creams.
Palate: Huge on the palate, with drying sherry, slightly burnt raisins and liquorice. Water teases out more smoky, stewed fruit characteristics.
Finish: The finish is very long, with a persistent note of spicy oranges. A surprising, and very welcome, lack of negative oak impact after so long in the cask. A superb, robust veteran that has matured magnificently.
GAVIN SMITH
EXPECT TO PAY: £110
KARUIZAWA SINGLE CASK 1991, 62.5% ABV
(Cask No. 3318 - bottled in 2007)
Nose: Initially quite restrained. Delicately floral and gently sherried, with a suggestion of Christmas pudding.
Palate: Rich and sophisticated. Malt and sherry merge beautifully, with an undertone of well-mannered spice.
Finish: Long and warming, with persistent sherry and a pleasing note of polished oak. GAVIN SMITH
EXPECT TO PAY: £57
KARUIZAWA SINGLE CASK 1992, 60.6% ABV
(Cask No. 3434 - bottled in 2007)
Nose: Lightly smoky with touches of dried soft fruits, tea leaf, toasted wood, calf leather. Rich, but very clean.
Water brings out a touch of varnish, freshly lit cigar, also a candied peel aroma.
Palate: Medium bodied, mixing sweetness and smokiness from the start. Chewy with a fragrant yet earthy peatiness. Light dilution brings out a note of sweet persimmon, incense and dried flower. The smoke recedes.
Finish: Baked clay, spice, then the return of cigar smoke. A wonderful head-clearing menthol quality. DAVE BROOM
EXPECT TO PAY: £72
KARUIZAWA SINGLE CASK 1988, 59.8% ABV
(Cask No. 3397 - bottled in 2006)
Nose: Deep and mature yet with sufficient freshness to give it lift. Humus and fresh fennel. Quite restrained yet funky.
Palate: Good feel. Creamy, sweet, and quite hot with a deep, solid centre. Light tannins. Powerful with real depth. Blossoms on the back palate.
Finish: Rich and fruity.
Comment: Does that paradoxical and very Japanese thing of being able to have real lift while going deep at the same time. DAVE BROOM
Nose: Rich, complex oaky notes which slowly unwind to release stewed fruit. Cooked apricots. Apple compote. Wood is well integrated. When aerated, some lucious coffee notes.
Palate: Frisky, a bit sharp. Gets sherbety. Then a malty sweetness tries to calm the game but spices block the way.
Finish: Dry, biting, spicy.
Comment: The nose does not say it all. The old man is still sprightly. MARTINE NOUET
Nose: The floral nose offers sweet sherry, honey, ginger and raspberries, while orange marmalade notes develop with exposure to air.
Palate: Full-bodied in the mouth, with Christmas cake, rich spices and Liquorice Allsorts. Much drier with the addition of water, when the sherry becomes muted and the liquorice dominates, with a hint of pepper.
Finish: Medium to long, drying, and spicy to the end.
Comment: This is, indeed, very close to a traditional Highland malt that has been matured in a good ex-Sherry cask. A lovely, complex, confident whisky. GAVIN SMITH
EXPECT TO PAY: £60
** 'Whisky of the Month May 2007' - whisky-pages.com **
KARUIZAWA SINGLE CASK 1992, 62.8% ABV
(Cask No. 6978 - bottled in 2006)
Nose: Tangy, a little spirity. Floral. Geranium. Quite perfumy. In the back, a note of wet leaves and moss.
Palate: Sweet at start, with a cotton wool feel. The alcohol makes a hefty comeback but in a pleasant way. Lots of oak.
Finish: Warm, spicy, oaky. A grassy aftertaste.
Comment: A sharp character which needs a good dash of water. Quite refreshing. MARTINE NOUET
EXPECT TO PAY: £55
KARUIZAWA SINGLE CASK 1981, 58.1% ABV
(Cask No. 103 - bottled in 2007)
Nose: Big and gutsy. Initially, molasses and worn leather, with a distinct note of dryish smoke developing, plus liquorice and rich, mature oak. Water releases background notes of wood polish.
Palate: Intriguing balance of sweet and dry flavours, plus smoke, with stewed plums and mixed spices winning through.
Finish: Medium to long, with some lingering fruit and pleasantly drying oak. A final kick of spice and quite sweet peat.GAVIN SMITH
EXPECT TO PAY: £75
** Whisky of the Month, May 2007 - whisky-pages.com **
** Malmo Whisky Fair - Gold Medal **
KARUIZAWA SINGLE CASK 1988, 59.8% ABV
(Cask No. 7683 - bottled in 2006)
Nose: Exotic; flat cola, wet bamboo, hedgerow, sour black cherry mixed with coconut, chocolate and green fig. With water, eucalyptus.
Palate: Shows real maturity, complexity and balance. Tongue-coating with layers of flavour and good weight.
Finish: Long, with a refreshing tart grip.
Comment: This has excellent backbone and manages to integrate fully the bitter edge that creeps into many of these. DAVE BROOM
Available in selected markets only
** Whisky Magazine recommended **
** Malmo Whisky Fair - Bronze Medal **
Dave Broom’s and Martine Nouet's tasting notes are reproduced by kind permission of Whisky Magazine. Gavin Smith's notes appear by kind permission of www.whisky-pages.com