Karuizawa 19 Years Old 1988 (Whiskysite.nl)

Karuizawa distillery in Nagano Prefecture opened in 1956, closed in 2000 and was demolished in 2016. This 1988 vintage was bottled by the Dutch specialist Whiskysite.nl in 2007 at 19 Years Old and cask strength 58.3%, selected specifically for the Netherlands market from a refill sherry butt.

A refill Oloroso vessel tempers the sherry influence relative to a first-fill cask, allowing the distillery's own character to emerge more clearly alongside the wood's contribution. Dried orange peel, aged leather and a trace of dark spice from the spent sherry wood sit above a base of light orchard fruit and the faintly waxy, cereal note that Golden Promise barley and Karuizawa's small Nagano pot stills consistently produced. At 58.3% the balance between distillery character and wood is well preserved, a measured and nuanced take on a vintage from one of Japan's most admired lost distilleries.