This is the first Multi-vintage Karuizawa. It contains whisky from four casks filled in 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984. It shares the masks / theatre labels with the previous Noh series.

I never know whether to write “official bottling” or “Number One Drinks” in my descriptions of Karuizawa. As you know all remaining stocks have been bought by Marcin Miller and his Number One Drinks company in the UK. They’re now the only source of Karuizawa, so I consider their stuff to be the official releases rather than independent releases.

Karuizawa 27 yo ‘Multi-vintages #1’
(59,1%, OB 2011, sherry butt &
bourbon casks #6405, 4973, 8184, 6437, 1500 btl.)

Nose: powerful, with typical Karuizawa notes. Kirsch, leather, blackberry jam, baked apples, roasted almonds, sherry wood, dried figs, eucalyptus, turpentine and varnish, humus, pine needles… Nicely sweet & sour. A classic. Mouth: very intense again, and quite hot. Very sherried. Burnt sugar, roasted hazelnuts, dark chocolate, leather, bitter spices, Seville oranges, cough syrup, pepper, dark tea, smoke and lots of tobacco. Not for the faint-hearted, be prepared for big resonating oak. Finish: long, herbal and spicy. Quite some earthy notes as well.

A good blend of Karuizawa elements. Too bad it costs about the same as a single cask 1981: around € 275. The main retailer (LMdW) is out of stock but there are still quite a few bottles left in other stores.

Score: 91/100