Single cask #7017. Matured in Japanese oak sherry casks. Bottled at full strength October 2009.

Karuizawa (Japan)

Karuizawa Distillery was established in 1956 near Miyota Town north west of Tokyo, Japan but closed in 2001 although the buildings and equipment remain. Karuizawa Distillery sits at an altitude of 850m on the foothills of the active volcano Mount Asama and used water which had drained through Asama’s lava soils. The equipment in Karuizawa Distillery included wooden washbacks and four small stills, although only three were used for malt whisky production, and sherry casks from Spain.

Nose: Maple syrup, cocoa and vanilla on the nose, with a whiff of furniture polish. Palate: Vibrant, dark sherry notes in the mouth, developing freshly-laid tarmac and cough lozenges. Finish: A good length to the finish, agreeably drying, with Oddfellows sweets.