Karuizawa Turtle

Karuizawa Turtle is a single malt from Karuizawa distillery in Nagano Prefecture, distilled in 1960 and bottled in 2024 for the German market at 54.2% cask strength. The turtle, like the crane, is a symbol of long life in Japanese tradition, and spirit distilled in 1960 at a now-demolished Nagano distillery that closed in 2000 earns that symbolism literally. This is among the oldest dated releases from the closed site's surviving inventory.

Rested across both Oloroso sherry and bourbon casks, the Turtle shows the layered complexity that results from more than six decades of maturation: dark fruit preserve, old leather, incense and a nutty depth from the sherry oak, lightened by the vanilla and dried-orchard warmth of the bourbon wood. At 54.2% the balance between concentration and drinkability is carefully managed. The combination of age, cask variety and the irreplaceable Karuizawa character makes this one of the more singular expressions in the range.