October 6, 2015

Karuizawa Go-Hon!

No no no, that doesn’t mean they’re going on distilling, that means ‘Five Karuizawas’ in Japanese (thanks Nicholas!). But do we really need to spend more ink (kilobytes) talking about how rare Karuizawa is, how good it can be, and how expensive it got? Of course not, lets just try some newish offerings, vertically…

Karuizawa 1999-2000/2015 (61%, OB, The Wave)

This is Karuizawa Asama-style, perhaps not from the most flabbergasting vintages… Colour: deep gold. Nose: there’s always something happening in Karuizawa, and this baby’s no exception. How often do you find a combination of fruity Swiss cheese, pipe tobacco, fried bacon, Seville oranges and cardamom seeds in whisky? Oh, almost forgot to mention menthol. Quite bizarrely, it reminds me of some older batches of the popular Glenfarclas 105. With water: some smoke coming out, whiffs of vulcanisation (repairing bicycle tyres, remember?), some black earth… That works very well. Mouth (neat): tears you apart a wee bit, with a very punchy triple-sec at hyper-cask strength, then rather chartreuse and a small sugariness that’s a little… Guyanian, perhaps? Very oily texture, it’s almost syrup. With water: Seville oranges singing loud, plus some green pepper, from the oak I suppose. Some creamy mead on top of that. Finish: long and spicier, but also more citrusy. Peppery and gingery Seville oranges. Comments: I find it extremely good. These batches seem to have benefited from a few years of extra-aging after the first Asamas. SGP:652 - 89 points.

Ooh this starts well…

Karuizawa 30 yo 1985/2015 (55.2%, OB, for LMDW, sherry cask, cask #2364)

The label may look a bit esoteric, but at least we’re avoiding the obligatory Noh or kabuki things. Not that those aren’t lovely, they just feel a bit too, yeah, obligatory. Like bagpipes, deer, or thistles on Scotch, if you see what I mean. And yes, I’ve noticed some Scots were starting to use Japanese artefacts as well… Colour: cognac. Serious. Nose: oh, no, this is perfect. Medicinal, smoky, fruity, full, immense. Cough syrup, leather polish (old Jag, you see…), a bit of gunpowder, old car engine with dripping Veedol (!), cigars, thuja wood, praline, macadamia nuts, earth, coffee grounds, oranges… What a whirlwind! We could spend hours with this baby, but we’ve got more Karuizawa on the tasting table, so let’s move on… With water: love it when the juice becomes superbly earthy. That’s what’s happening here. Mouth (neat): when leather, oranges, and tobacco work in sync. A Japanese jazz trio. And there are backing vocalists, such as cloves, mint, liquorice, bitter chocolate… And many others. In fact, it’s a cathedral choir. With water: once again, more earth, also dried citrus, Szechuan pepper… Unusual, and great. Finish: long, oily, rather sweeter than expected. It’s even got an agricole-y side. Tobacco in the aftertaste. Comments: me not want to comment. SGP:662 - 93 points.

Kabuki, he said…

Karuizawa 30 yo (63.2%, OB, bourbon, cask #6432, 404 bottles, 2015)

They don’t seem to have put the vintage on the label, while this is clearly a single cask. Either 1985 or 1984… But 404 bottles from a barrel or even a hogshead seems a bit much. This is mysterious! Colour: full gold. Nose: I’ve often thought that ex-bourbon Karuizawas used to hint at Yamazaki, and I’ve got that exact feeling now. It’s much narrower than the previous 1984, but in way, this kind of precision is an asset. Vanilla cake, crème de menthe, sawn oak, chlorophyll, just a touch of porridge. But let’s not nose it too deeply at this strength, or we’ll lose our nostrils… With water: like! Old wine cellar, saltpetre, damp chalk, mushrooms… Mouth (neat): it’s champagne! I’m not joking, you’ve got this very spritzy, almost sparkling kind of arrival, with plenty of grapefruits and oranges, plus a very distinct touch of elderflower. Chewing propolis. The jury’s still out… With water: sappier. Resins and more propolis, plus the most concentrated of marmalades. Like, 250 oranges per kilogram (S., just drop cooking please). Finish: long and extremely marmalady. Both oranges and lemons. Comments: a wee beast that requires your attention. It’s not as immediately wow as some sherried Karuizawas, but of course, quality’s extremely high. SGP:651 - 91 points.

Karuizawa 29 yo 1984/2014 (56.7%, Cask by Cask, oloroso sherry butt, cask #7802, 577 bottles)

This one for some friendly Scandinavian country, where the weather is cold and the souls warm. Colour: rich amber. Nose: it’s a medicinal sherried one again, but not one that roars and shouts, I find it relatively restrained. Antiseptic, struck matches, roasted chestnuts, black tea, black earth, black liquorice, black chewing tobacco… well, anything black, including black pepper. Quite some peat as well, but raw damp peat, not peat smoke. With water: love this development on old books, damp earth, and even plasticine and graphite. Mouth (neat): as much as I did not find the nose too ‘wham-bam’, I find this arrival very finely chiselled and powerful for a sherried Karuizawa, around bitter orange marmalade and pickled ginger. There’s even a mustardy side, while the fruitier parts are slowly coming to the surface. Well, that would be more oranges. Always something flinty in the back. With water: becomes very oloroso-ish, with walnuts and a little more (sweet) mustard. Gentler, softer, easier. Finish: long, spicier. Some good sulphur, and always an earthiness. Comments: we’re not losing altitude, are we. This rather dry baby wasn’t one of the most extravagant oloroso-ed Karuizawas, but it sure was great. SGP:452 - 91 points.

Karuizawa 30 yo 1984/2015 (61.6%, OB, LMDW, sherry cask, cask #8838)

Oh the colour of this! Colour: coffee. Nose: coffee. No, I’m joking, there’s much more than just coffee. Old Demerara rum, all raisins, all chocolates, all fruitcakes, and all crystallised fruits. Remember we were talking about Glenfarclas 105 when we tasted the 1999-2000? Well, there sure is a Glenfarclasness to this, but that would rather be a 1952 or a 1953. Much less smoky/mineral aromas than in other old sherried Karuis, and much more Speysidy roundness. Some pipe tobacco, prunes, and old armagnac. No wonder it’s for the French market (ooh that’s smart, S.!) With water: h.u.r.r.a.y. All earthy things come out, old cigars, clay, teas, roots, mushrooms, mosses… Fabtastic development once water’s been added. Mouth (neat): immense, huge, colossal. Invades you, conquers you, beats you. Imagine 60% old amontillado, 20% old PX, 10% super-ristretto Naples-style, and dried morels, tobacco, liquorice, salmiak… Well, anything black once again. Yes, even tar. With water: shhh… Finish: shhh… Comments: some might find it a little stuffy or cloying, but in a way, this kind of extreme concentration makes it light and chiselled again. Don’t extremes meet? Oh and another asset, no one makes whisky like this anymore. It’s like pushing a GTO to its limits in the Hunaudières, if you like. Well, I imagine (most sadly)… SGP:572 - 94 points.

Pace e salute. (and thanks Kjetil!)

Oops, forgot to post this...

	September 2015
	Favourite recent bottling: Irish Malt Peated 1991/2015 (52.2%, The Whisky Mercenary) - WF 91 Favourite older bottling: Bruichladdich 10 yo 1965 (95° proof, OB for Samaroli, +/-1975) - WF 93 Favourite bang for your buck bottling: Benromach 10 yo (43%, OB, +/-2015) - WF 87

Favourite malternative:
Baron de Saint-Feux 1888/2007 (40%, OB, Bas-armagnac) - WF 95