Karuizawa 33 Years Old ElD (Elixir)

Karuizawa 33 Years Old is a single-cask single malt from Karuizawa distillery in Nagano Prefecture, bottled in 2018 by Elixir Distillers for the UK market at 54.4% cask strength. Part of the Elixir series of aged Karuizawa releases, this expression represents over three decades of maturation in stock laid down before the distillery closed in 2000 and demolished in 2016, adding a year to the 31 Years Old release from the same bottler.

The Oloroso sherry cask has built the dark, layered character that is the signature of the closed Nagano site: dried fruit, leather, a bitter chocolate note and the savoury, old-wood depth that long sherry ageing on Karuizawa's Golden Promise distillate consistently produces. At 54.4% it is slightly more approachable than some of the higher-strength Elixir bottlings, and the longer maturation adds a further refinement of texture. Water will open the glass and bring out additional fruit and spice.