Karuizawa 19 Year Old 1998 Single Cask (Private Label) | 700ML

Behold! A single malt from Japan's Karuizawa distillery joins our own Master of Malt single cask collection. A monumental moment, we think you'll agree. The distillery closed back in 2000, and these days, it's a rare thing to find a drop of Karuizawa. Distilled in 1998, this single malt spent 19 years maturing in a sherry hogshead, and we got our hands on enough drops to fill precisely 15 bottles.

Karuizawa 19 Year Old 1998 Single Cask (Private Label) | 700ML Tasting Notes

Nose: A quilt of pure, earthy, salty, dark and warm notes coexist in masterful harmony here, from the supple fruitiness of Medjool dates, sultanas and preserved cherries to the thick richness of ancient polished oak furniture, menthol tobacco, rancio and worn leather. Caramelised muscovado sugar, almond syrup and wood spice form in the backdrop among lighter elements of green apple and banana as well as black truffle acacia honey.

Palate: A salty manzanilla aspect, a deep resinous earthy quality and various matured game meats emerge through biting tannins and ginger root. As the palate develops there’s a litany of flavours including aged Pinot Noir, soy sauce, bitter chocolate, dried herbs, blackberry and apple crumble and Sherry-rich notes of Christmas cake, blood orange and Maraschino cherries.

Finish: The finish is superbly long, dry, meaty and spice-rich.

Distillery Information

A legend of the whisky world, the Karuizawa distillery was opened in 1955 in Miyota, Japan, rather near the active volcano Mount Asama. The distillery housed four small stills and imported Golden Promise barley from Scotland to create their whisky, which was then often aged in Sherry casks. Sadly, the distillery was mothballed in 2001, with their stocks of slowly trickling out to market, where the bottles have become quite the collector's item for whisky enthusiasts. In 2011, the UK-based company Number One Drinks purchased the remaining stocks of Karuizawa’s whisky. When encountering Karuizawa whisky in the wild, we recommend whispering to yourself "Precious, precious Karuizawa..."

DISCLAIMER** This is a single item listing unless otherwise noted in the description. Retailer advises either in stock or in route to their location. Usually ships within one to four business days. Longer processing times may occur especially around holiday(s). Some items may become backordered or delayed without notice due to demand & will ship out upon arrival. Overseas 700ml products typically have longer processing/transit times. You can always verify product availability by calling 1-888-548-0333. Please refer to our cancellations & returns agreement or reach out to our support team at help@caskcartel.com for any additional questions.

Our dedicated team specializes in creating personalized shopping experiences. If you’re looking for a specific item or collection that isn’t appearing on our marketplace, please reach out to us at concierge@caskcartel.com or fill out the product inquiry form and one of our dedicated team members will be in touch.  Whether it’s a product you’ve experienced while traveling or a rare, hard to find item you’ve been searching for, we have an established global network of retailers with the ability to locate and source the rarest and hardest to find products.