This is one of the latest Karuizawa Noh releases, a 1977 from a single sherry cask released in 2010. I’m curious for the future – all remaining Karuizawa stocks have been bought by Number One Drinks, the UK distributor behind these Noh series.

Karuizawa 32 yo 1977
(60,7%, OB 2010, cask 4592, 190 btl.)

Nose: earthy and meaty. Roasted coffee. Incense. Charred steak. Very smoky for a Karuizawa. All of this mixed with a lovely sweetness of chocolate and black cherries. Precious spices like Szechuan and cardamom. Sandalwood and tobacco. Mouth: hot with big peppery notes. Quite sharp at first, then some dry walnuts and leather, sweeter caramel, dark chocolate and bags of cigar leafs. Lovely chocolate / cherry combo. Really great. Camphor, hints of tar even. Some liquorice. Wow. Finish: long and rich, spicy..

Another extreme Karuizawa. Interesting to see it shows a bigger and different kind of smokiness – not the usual matchstick notes from other bottlings. The savouriness is quite exceptional. With a slightly bigger fruitiness this would have been heavenly. Originally around € 170 – now sold for crazy amounts.

Score: 91/100