Karuizawa 35 Years Old 1981

Karuizawa distillery, a small single malt operation in Nagano Prefecture run by Mercian, produced whisky from 1956 before closing in 2000 and being demolished in 2016. This single cask, a 1981 vintage aged for 35 years, was bottled in 2017 for the Japanese home market, one of several 35-year releases from this vintage that appeared across different markets in 2016 and 2017.

The maturation took place in Oloroso sherry wood, the cornerstone cask type at Karuizawa, over 35 years in the cool mountain conditions of Nagano Prefecture. Karuizawa's use of imported Golden Promise barley and small pot stills gave its spirit the body and richness to sustain long sherry maturation without becoming hollow. The typical house character that results from this combination is concentrated dried fruit, worn leather, dark chocolate and a long, warming finish. Bottled at 56.5% from a single cask.