Karuizawa 31 Years Old 1981 Cask #8775 (K&L)

Karuizawa, the single malt distillery in Nagano Prefecture operated by Mercian from 1956 until its closure in 2000, was demolished in 2016. By 2013 its reputation in Western collector markets had grown considerably, and a handful of US allocations appeared through specialist wine and spirits retailers. Cask number 8775, a 1981 vintage, was selected by K&L Wine Merchants and bottled in 2013 for the US market in a 750ml format, one of the rare American-market Karuizawa single casks.

The maturation was in an Oloroso sherry butt, and at 62.3% this is among the higher-ABV examples from the 1981 vintage. At Karuizawa, the combination of small pot stills, Golden Promise barley and long sherry wood contact in cool mountain conditions produced the dark, densely layered character that defines the house. The typical register at this age and cask type runs to stewed dark fruit, worn leather, bitter chocolate and warming spice. Bottled at cask strength from a single butt.