Another very limited bottle that was long gone before I knew it existed. This time, it was bottled for Whisky Magazine and released at Whisky Live London in 2008. It is a 15 year old Karuizawa, matured in an American oak Sherry Butt. That does not happen often, as far as I know.

Karuizawa used to be one of my favorite distilleries, but I have to admit that I prefer their big bold sherry bottlings more than the incredibly woody bottlings that are available as well. That also means I no longer buy them without tasting them, and since stocks are so limited that means they’re sold out most of the time before I can get hold of them.

Nose:
Shoe polish, leather, the rubber noses of Allstar sneakers and furniture polish. And all that in the first whiff. Nothing bad about that, although I did enjoy the addition of banana, mango and some spicy wood to give it a bit more depth.

Taste:
Sweet and sharp. There is some wood there, something spicy as well and some more wood. Then slight fruitiness and dry sherry. The more feinty scents I got are not overly present on the palate.

Finish:
The finish is spicy with a hint of sweetness. And, in a good way, massive amounts of wood.

A bit of a strange one. It’s definetly a good dram, but it wanders a bit between the overly wooded Japanese character you sometimes get, and a more fruity sherry style. The combination works very well and although I think it lacks a bit of depth on the palate and on the finish that is there on the nose, I think it a dram worthy of seeking out and getting a sample of!

Karuizawa 15, 1992-2007, 60.6%, American Oak Sherry Butt, Cask #3434, Bottled for Whisky Magazine.