Karuizawa 1964
| Category | JAPANESE |
| Distillery | Karuizawa |
| Bottler | Distillery Bottling |
| Bottling Series | - |
| Vintage | 1964 |
| Bottled Year | 2015 |
| Age | 48년 |
| Cask Type | - |
| Cask Number | - |
| Bottles Released | - |
| ABV | 57.7% |
| Volume | 700 ml |
| Label | - |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | - |
Flavor Profile
Tasting Notes
어둠 속의 마호가니가 잔의 안쪽을 단단하게 칠한다. 카루이자와 1964 빈티지 48년은 폐쇄된 일본 컬트 증류소의 정점에 해당하는 보틀링이며, 향에서는 농축된 건자두와 시가 박스, 묵은 가죽, 옅은 동양 향신료가 짙게 펼쳐진다. 57.7도의 도수는 입안에서 카루이자와 특유의 두꺼운 보디감 위로 캐러멜라이즈된 흑설탕과 다크 초콜릿, 짠 미네랄리티, 묵은 셰리의 결을 한꺼번에 풀어놓으며 사라진 증류소의 신화적 면모를 보여준다. 여운은 48년의 침묵처럼 깊게 머문다.
AITasting Notes
Colour
rich amber
air Nose
rather than smoky and chocolaty like some other old Karuizawas could be, this one is full of overripe fruits and the jams made thereof, with many spices and sappy ‘things’ in the background. In fact, it’s quite extraordinary. Strawberries with menthol? Figs and marzipan? Dates and liquorice? Quinces with some putty? There’s even something coastal that’s growing and growing, but the whole rather makes me think of some glorious very old but terrifyingly vibrant sherried Speysider that would have sucked a little extra-menthol out of a magnificent cask. And maybe a little beef stock at the same time… With water: Karuizawa really loves water, the whisky became even more fabulous and incredibly complex. Some fruitcake especially made for a very wealthy and completely mad dictator?
restaurant Palate
what the hell is this? I’ve never found this is any malt whisky… Some kind of overripe tropical fruits, maybe longans? There’s also this curious cheesy side, absolutely wonderful (in this context!) New Comté or other fruity Jurassian cheese? There’s also a lot of oak, which is normal, but what’s important, I think, is that it’s all perfectly integrated. Add to that some tangerine liqueur, black pepper, cumin, cloves, grape pips (ha, resveratrol!)… All that is very big, it’s almost a monster of a whisky. With water: these wonderfully strange notes grew even bigger. Swiss cheese with mango jam
timer Finish
endless, with the spices singing many songs. No I won’t list them all, do not worry. Bitter chocolate in the aftertaste (tannins, but no worries)