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As chances are you’ll bear in mind, WhiskyNotes celebrates an anniversary on the seventh of December. Because it falls on a Saturday, we determined to rejoice a day early. Sixteen years of opinions already. A Karuizawa ought to be acceptable.
Earlier this 12 months The Whisky Change launched The Cupboard, a digital market through which they provide distinctive and distinctive spirits. It’s a blockchain-enabled venture so that you’re shopping for a digital certificates of possession. They settle for bank cards or cryptocurrency.
The bottles are bodily saved in TWE’s secured and insured facility. They will additionally ship it, do you have to need to take bodily possession of the bottle. I’m fairly conventional about these items, so I’d need to take a look at my bottle and treasure it, however then once more I don’t have that form of cash.
The whiskies on supply are spectacular, beginning with a 50-year-old Glenlivet – solely 12 bottles! At this time we’re celebrating with a Karuizawa 50 Yr Outdated.
Karuizawa 1965 + 1972
The primary part of this whisky is Karuizawa 1965 from sherry cask #3037, which hit the market in a number of batches as a 50-year-old. A small quantity was stored again and held in glass. This was now married with a Karuizawa 1972 matured in crimson wine casks (like this different 1972) that had been recoopered in 2012. Each elements have been aged for 50 years. After painstaking trials (one in every of which already reached me a while in the past) they settled on a ratio of 80% 1965 and 20% 1972. This mixture rested in glass for an additional two years.
Solely 50 bottles exist, every with a novel engraving of an oriental motif or scene. All of them are on the venture web site. Every field repeats the motif, and a complentary ebook explains the philosophy behind the whisky.
Time to fill the one acceptable glass for this type of whisky, the blender’s glass.
Karuizawa 50 yo – Marriage 1965 & 1972 (54,8%, The Whisky Change ‘Cupboard’ 2024, 50 btl.)
Nostril: it doesn’t scream Karuizawa straight away – at first you possibly can be tricked into pondering this was a really previous cognac. Dried apricots, whiffs of fig syrup but in addition mango beneath. Then just a little cinnamon and heather honey seems, together with gentle gingery notes. Furnishings polish, at all times good. Blood oranges, marmalade and Spanish membrillo. Hints of oriental pastry within the background, together with some previous natural tea leaves, eucalyptus and refined hints of cigar containers.
Mouth: fairly highly effective – this ain’t cognac! There’s black peppercorn and even hints of rye spice. Then natural honey and natural tea, with mint and eucalyptus, resulting in black tea and cigar leaves after some time. Mid-palate a burst of more energizing fruits seems, with extra blood orange and marmalade, hints of kumquat, mango and grapefruit (together with peels). Loads of treasured, oriental wooden as properly, cedar but in addition smoky sandalwood. Fairly earthy, however with refreshing resinous touches and liquorice.
End: lengthy and darkish, on black tea and bitter chocolate, with some charred echoes, menthol, a hoppy be aware and a little bit of incense.
So right here’s a Karuizawa that shows the magnificence and refinement of very previous cognac and really previous Scotch. The sherry is simple to note (because it ought to in a great Karuizawa imho) nevertheless it has extra layers and refinements than a few of the (additionally wonderful) sherry bombs we had earlier than. It’s extra within the model of those historic Glen Grants from Gordon & MacPhail, as an illustration. Nonetheless, on the palate the oriental, darkish profile of the distillery prevails, with a stunning trace of vibrant unique fruits.
I preserve questioning how a lot area stays for such initiatives within the present whisky market, however the whisky itself is actually a chunk of liquid historical past. At € 44,000 ex VAT per (50cl) bottle, I’m positive there’s some price range left to have it delivered to your house, the place it may be treasured and admired. Possibly even… savoured?
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