Karuizawa 1985 Vintage Single Cask: 7017 60.8% 1985

Distillerie
Embouteilleur
Serie
Mise en bouteille pour
Date de distillation	1985
Date de mise en bouteille	16.10.2009
Pays	Japon
Région	Japon
Age
Cask Type
Numéro de fût
Alcohol percentage	60.8
Volume
État	dans son emballage d'origine
Étiquette	Parfait
Stock	0

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Serge Valentin (88)

Colour: full amber with red hues. Nose: quite some struck matches at first nosing (sulphur) but that slowly disappears, leaving room for a big candied sherry, toffee, dried figs, blackberry jam and quite some chocolate. A little leather. With water: water does not kill the sulphur but it does reduce its effects. Still a tad leathery and maybe even ‘medicinal’ (or encaustic?) The other aromas didn’t change much. Mouth (neat): very rich, thick, oily, with that ‘sulphur’ striking again in the attack (it’s almost smoky but it isn’t smoky as such, if you see what I mean), some ashes, paraffin, bitter oranges, resin, cardamom and then classic slightly mouldy sherry… With water: its best part. Even more pine resin, wax, orange drops… Great body at +/-45% vol. Finish: rather long, on exactly the same flavours. Some tannins in the aftertaste, which is pretty normal.
Comments: well, if you hate ‘gunpowder’, this isn’t for you. If you think it can be an asset to a malt whisky, rush out before it’s too late. Me? I’ll choose a rather conservatory score

Words of Whisky (94)

BOW (89)

WhiskyNotes: Nose: typical Japanese sherry influence. Bold and earthy with lots of gunpowder and fireworks. I’ve read ‘sulphur’ on different websites, but this is nothing like the dirty kind of sulphur that we sometimes discover in sherry casks. Really nice. Mushrooms (truffles?). After a while, more fruity notes come out (mainly blackberry and black cherries) with velvety vanilla, leather and tobacco. Hints of fresh tarmac. Extreme and archetypal. Mouth: very intense and thick. Smoky and earthy with hints of tobacco. Dark fruits. Savoury when water is added (meat, mushrooms) with herbs (mint, cardamom) but also more hints of fireworks. Finish: long, drying (slightly tannic) and leafy.
Huge is the right descriptor here. Big gunpowder notes throughout, but real fun to gradually add water and watch the flavours develop. Perfect example of the Karuizawa style.