Karuizawa 1984/2012 Cask #2961
Review by Ruben of WhiskyNotes
Karuizawa 1984 cask #2961, featuring a rice paper label, completely in Japanese calligraphy. This cask had an outturn of over 500 bottles and was shared between a number of customers both in Japan (120 bottles for the ANA Intercontinental Hotel among others) and abroad (Taiwan and the Karuizawa Partners' Reserve).
Karuizawa 27yo 1984 (57,7%, 2012, cask #2961, 350 btl.)
Nose: a very oriental expression that’s also surprisingly high on glue notes and oil paint. I love that. Polished cedar oak. Opens up on raspberry jam, strawberries and sour plums. Raisins. Rhubarb! Also hints of fragrant lemon skin. Just a small nutty note and cigar leaves in the background. Very refined with the waxed oak theme ever-present.
Mouth: very powerful, a lot of sandalwood and cedar again. Big big tobacco notes. Dates and raisins. Dark chocolate. Nutmeg. Sugar coated pecans. A little balsamic and liquorice. Develops tiny fragrant, perfumy notes as well. Overall quite dry.
Finish: long, elegant, with brambles and cocoa powder. Some tannins as well.
I adore the nose of this Karuizawa. It’s oak-driven, but in a way that’s necessary to get this kind of oriental profile. I started with a higher score, but while sipping it lost some points because the dryness gets a little overpowering – even with water.
Read more about Karuizawa Distillery here.
Karuizawa 27yo 1984 (57,7%, 2012, cask #2961, 350 btl.)
Nose: a very oriental expression that’s also surprisingly high on glue notes and oil paint. I love that. Polished cedar oak. Opens up on raspberry jam, strawberries and sour plums. Raisins. Rhubarb! Also hints of fragrant lemon skin. Just a small nutty note and cigar leaves in the background. Very refined with the waxed oak theme ever-present.
Mouth: very powerful, a lot of sandalwood and cedar again. Big big tobacco notes. Dates and raisins. Dark chocolate. Nutmeg. Sugar coated pecans. A little balsamic and liquorice. Develops tiny fragrant, perfumy notes as well. Overall quite dry.
Finish: long, elegant, with brambles and cocoa powder. Some tannins as well.
I adore the nose of this Karuizawa. It’s oak-driven, but in a way that’s necessary to get this kind of oriental profile. I started with a higher score, but while sipping it lost some points because the dryness gets a little overpowering – even with water.
Read more about Karuizawa Distillery here.
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