Karuizawa 29 Years Old 1984 Cask #3662 (Shinanoya)

Karuizawa distillery in Nagano Prefecture ran from 1956 until its closure in 2000, later demolished in 2016. Operated by Mercian with a reliance on imported Golden Promise barley and Spanish Oloroso sherry casks, it produced single malt that grew in stature dramatically after the site fell silent. This bottling, cask number 3662, was distilled in 1984 and allowed 29 years in wood before being bottled in 2013 at cask strength 61% by the Japanese specialist retailer Shinanoya.

Almost three decades in an Oloroso sherry cask at this high-altitude Nagano site has produced a spirit of considerable depth and density. Dark dried fruit, aged leather, tobacco and dark chocolate are the hallmarks of a long-rested Karuizawa sherry cask, and the 61% bottling strength ensures no dilution of that concentrated character. A domestic-market single cask from one of the earlier vintages still available, distilled when the distillery was in full production.