Despite Karuizawa being phased out at the end of 2000, it was still possible to visit the distillery in order to nab the last of the single casks on display at the visitor centre. These simply labelled bottles were part of the legendary Single Cask Malt Whisky collection, a collection which retraced four decades of production at Karuizawa. The distillery is famed for its eventful history - a history peppered with phases of growth and decline, up until its closure in 2001 when it eventually became a thing of legend.
Storming onto the French Market
The bottles are adorned with white labels featuring the distillery stamp and the cask number. Each bottle produced up until 2012 also had handwritten mentions of the distillation year, exact bottling date, ABV and an indication of who the bottle has been checked by alongside Yoshiyuki Nakazato’s name, the distillery's last manager before its closure. The simplicity of the Single Cask Malt Whisky collection contrasts with the artistic character of other series.
In fact, it was a bottling from this collection that first caught the eye of those in the French market and led them to discover Karuizawa. In 2007, La Maison du Whisky imported several bottles from cask no. #6978 - a 1992 vintage - and despite stocks of this Karuizawa selling slowly, it didn't take long for whisky lovers to fall in love with the brand. Their love for Karuizawa became obvious at the end of 2009, with the bottling of cask no. #6426 - a 1967 vintage - that was shared between La Maison du Whisky and The Whisky Exchange to mark their tenth anniversary. The 232 bottles that La Maison du Whisky had, sold out in just a few weeks: a wildfire sale that highlighted the success of Karuizawa, now considered as one of the greatest single malts on the planet.
The Single Malt Cask Whisky collection is the only collection in which all the decades of production of the Karuizawa distillery have been bottled, with the exception of 1950. We will now take you on a journey through the second half of the 20th century as we give a tasting of four whiskies.
The 1960s
Like many whisky distilleries in the 1960s and 1970s, Karuizawa did not limit its production to single malt. Its whiskies were used in blends produced by Sanraku Ocean, for which malt whiskies were in the minority. During this decade, the distillery's cooperage was refocused on repairing the casks used to mature the whisky: the old 400-litre second-fill Xérès casks and 550-litre American oak puncheons.
Karuizawa 1967 #6426 58,4 % :
Colour: deep mahogany.
Nose: dense, airy. Alternately, aromas of mushrooms, exotic fruits (passion fruit, persimmon), dark chocolate, coarse salt, spices (grey pepper, cardamom), quince jelly, cork, chestnut purée come through, unveiling a complex nose which can only be appreciated by taking time to enjoy the process.
Palate: velvety, balanced. The immense nobility of the sherry marks the attack on the palate before notes of spices (pepper, ginger), coffee, herbal tea, red fruit tarts, oranges and lemon purée are unveiled… The quince jelly and the chestnut purée continue to come through.
Finish: both lively and with great accuracy of expression. The finish is marked by a bitterness reminiscent of beer, accompanied by a myriad of fruit and mint flavours. Eventually, we reach notes of mushroom (oyster mushroom, trumpet of death), followed by unexpected meaty notes in the aftertaste.
This Karuizawa is a masterpiece of whisky with its meaty, vegetal, exotic, spiced, and bitter notes, followed by the fine influence of sherry. It is a brandy of rare complexity. This version is still extremely sought-after by collectors and lovers of the distillery. It fetches over £10,000 on the auction market (as does The Whisky Exchange bottling).
The 1970s
This decade saw the commercialisation of the first single malt by the distillery. In July 1976, Sanraku Ocean unveiled the Karuizawa single malt, which was notably the first single malt to be sold on the Japanese market. This was well before other historic groups such as Suntory and Nikka, who did not market their first single malt until 1984. It is also the decade during which the production of the distillery increased significantly. The distillery was modernised and equipped with new fermentation tanks and they also moved away from using coal-fired stills in the 1970s.
Karuizawa 1978 #8383 63 % :
Colour: mahogany.
Nose: full-bodied, fresh. Evoking damp earth, the nose reveals notes of moss, burned rubber, molasses and eventually crisp aromas reminiscent of Jura wines. On aeration, aromas of nougat, freshly-baked brioche and cinnamon reveal the deliciousness of the olfactory palate.
Palate: lively, balanced. The palate is unveiled in three sequences. First stage: an avalanche of yellow and red fruits intertwine with spiced and peppery flavours. Second stage: pure indulgence with subtle notes of salted butter. Third stage: a meaty finish (rabbit pate).
Finish: rich, bold. The start of the finish echoes the attack on the palate: it is hot, almost burning. Then, the finish recaptures its meaty notes with a hint of dry-cured ham. The after taste charms with flavours of peach and passion fruit.
Much as cask #6426, the complexity of this Karuizawa is immense. This version stands out for its bold, assertive character, its crisp nose and strong palate! High density, tempered by magnificent fruity and delicately meaty sequences... It is both deep and precise. This Karuizawa is much more affordable, fetching between £3,600 and £4,000 at auction these days.
The 1980s
With production having increased at the end of the 1970s, it is not surprising that the single malts produced in the 1980s (especially until 1984) remain the most common today. Nevertheless, production decreased from the middle of the decade, due to the increasing disinterest in whisky amongst the Japanese population - and in particular in the robust style embodied by Karuizawa, with most forming a preference for lighter whiskies. Karuizawa would rarely be described this way…
Karuizawa 1981 #2634 55,2 % :
Colour: deep mahogany.
Nose: rich, hot. The nose is dense and marked by mineral aromas (dry white wine), coffee (cold brew), raspberry tart, star anise, blond rolling tobacco, milk chocolate, and Barbados rum (coconut). The complexity is remarkable and enticing.
Palate: harmonious, supple. Delicate on the palate, a call to four o'clock, with notes of coffee and wafers. Then, the mid-palate unveils all the character of this Karuizawa, marked by aromas of roasted white meats (chicken, rabbit), aromatic plants (bay, rosemary) and molasses. An opulent smoky finish.
Finish: intense, hot. Powdery notes (coffee, dark chocolate) line the opening of the finish. Then, we are introduced to flavours of honey, thyme, lemon, nuts and nutmeg, adding to the symphony of the tasting, preceded by superb aromas of Iberian ham.
Distilled at a time when Karuizawa had abandoned coal-fired heating, this version boasts a wonderful balance on the palate, paired beautifully with very subtle tertiary and musky notes. Nevertheless, the style is always present and distinctive: it is an endless journey through herbaceous, fruity, pastry, mineral, animal, roasted, chocolate and smoky lands. This Karuizawa is famed as being one of the most wonderful casks having been bottled by La Maison du Whisky. On the secondary market, it sells for around £5,000.
The 1990s
The Karuizawa distillery went through a period of recession as a result of the increase in the tax on whisky production in 1984, the slowdown in the Japanese economy, the reduction in customs duties on Scotch imports and the growing disinterest of the Japanese in whisky in favour of other drinks. From a production point of view, the mid 1990s also marked the time when Karuizawa moved away from peated malted barley. This decade led to the halt in production on 31st December 2000: from then on, the three employees of the distillery were only responsible for maintaining the distillery and bottling certain editions for the shop.
Karuizawa 1999 #867 58,9 % :
Colour: deep mahogany.
Nose: rich, strong. After a little aeration, aromas of lime, bourbon vanilla, sherry vinegar, rubber, mustard and honey blossom unveil a colourful Karuizawa. Some dry earth notes on aeration.
Palate: round, full-bodied. The attack on the palate is abundantly fruity, almost sugary (orange, clementines)! The mid-palate remains delicious, with flavours of walnut and cinnamon. The finish is lemony.
Finish: a wonderful length. Aromas of chestnut purée followed by meaty flavours (charcuterie).
Clearly younger than the three versions preceding it, cask no. #867 unveils a stronger fruity character. Even though this period is less sought-after by lovers and collectors, it's still a good choice: it is difficult to get your hands on a bottle for less than £2,500.
For anyone wishing to learn more about the history of Karuizawa, we highly recommend reading the writings of Stefan van Eycken and Dave Broom, on which this article is based.
Stanislas Kindroz