Karuizawa 1999 Geisha Label
| Category | JAPANESE |
| Distillery | Karuizawa |
| Bottler | Distillery Bottling |
| Bottling Series | - |
| Vintage | 1999 |
| Bottled Year | 2015 |
| Age | - |
| Cask Type | Sherry Cask |
| Cask Number | - |
| Bottles Released | - |
| ABV | 58.6% |
| Volume | 700 ml |
| Label | - |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Karuizawa |
Flavor Profile
Tasting Notes
Colour
light mahogany
air Nose
an all-out barrage of wood glue, walnut stain, pipe tobacco and prunes, quickly joined by tar, chocolate truffles and, since we’re in Japan, a respectful nod to umeshu. There’s even a flicker of Chinese hoisin sauce, though it feels a few years off from making its real presence known. With water: a faint sulphury note darts in, but vanishes just as swiftly, leaving behind a playground of umami delights—MSG may be scorned at table, but in the glass it often works wonders. Soy sauce, oyster sauce, and the darkest of dark chocolates
restaurant Palate
bold, spicy, unashamedly chocolaty, with pronounced notes of walnut liqueur, worn leather and strong pipe tobacco. Yet the citrus peeks through, perhaps as orangettes, those delightful slivers of orange peel dunked in dark chocolate. That said, in our humble experience, these ‘sherry monsters’ often get a touch petulant with water on the palate, so let’s see... With water: it does dry out a little—as they often do—revealing more bitter cocoa and well-worn leather
timer Finish
long, with proper bitters, and even a suggestion of dry vermouth—perhaps Noilly Prat, if we’re being precise