1.3K
In my last review, I took a look at a Karuizawa that was made up of vatted casks from the final year or two of production that resulted in a release that was representative of the distillery’s house style without excelling in any one area. By contrast today, I’m exploring a single cask Karuizawa that has a little more punch and gives some idea of what the distillery really had to offer.
This Karuizawa is from sherry butt #879 and was aged 13 years before being bottled for K&L Wines. I remember when this went on sale for pre-order and am kicking myself to this day for not taking advantage at the time. Live and learn…
| Category | Notes |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Copper |
| Nose | Intense sherry, savory and bold, ripe banana, pineapple, hint of smoke, cherries, more tropical fruits, tobacco, meaty, grill char. This might be the most savory nose I've experienced yet. |
| Taste | Dark fruit, sherry, cherries, syrupy, chocolate, fennel, earthy. Still quite bold with water, lots of oak, a lot spicier and the addition of some citrus. After several minutes, mushrooms appear. |
| Finish | Lots of oak, more sherry influence, more "meatiness", tropical fruits from the nose are back. With water, the oak remains and the fruit comes forward more. It's a really long finish. |
| Overall Thoughts | The nose just won't quit. Intense, bold, what more can I say. I'm glad to have tried this whisky from a now legendary distillery. |
| Total Score | 95/100 |
