Karuizawa

Karuizawa 17 Year Old 100% Malt, Sherry Cask, 40%

Name: Karuizawa 17 Year Old 100% Malt, Sherry Cask, 40%
Brand: Karuizawa
Rating: 87.2 (5 reviews)

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TypeSingle Malt Whisky

MRI

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Description

Karuizawa was a legendary Japanese whisky distillery, founded in 1955 and mothballed in 2000, with its original distillery dismantled in 2016. It gained cult status for its exceptional releases, often matured in sherry casks. This 17 Year Old 100% Malt is a rare expression from the closed distillery, known for its refined fruit, spice, and oak characteristics. It was bottled by the Mercian Corporation, the distillery's owner, and was primarily intended for the Japanese market. The whisky is a blend, some of which was peated, and matured in Spanish oak sherry casks.

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Listed value is based on sold auction prices and inclusive of auction fees (not including tax and shipping).

Whisky AuctioneerAuction Sold Price - Sep 7, 2026SGD 1,773.24

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Region: Nagano
Age: 17 Years
Vintage: N.A
Bottled: N.A
ABV: 40%
Volume: 70cl
Distillery: Karuizawa
Origin: Japan

Cask type: Sherry Cask
Bottling: Official Bottling
Peated: Peated
Single cask: No
Non-chill filtered: No
Cask origin: Spain
Cask no.: N.A
Batch: N.A
PPM: N.A
Barley: Golden Promise barley from Scotland
Fermentation: N.A
Master distiller (bottling): N.A
Master distiller (distillation): N.A

Limited edition: No
Bottle count: N.A
Has box: Yes
Closure: Glass Stopper, Cork
Presentation: Decanter, Box
Series highlights: N.A
Historical context: Distillery closed in 2000/2011, making its remaining stock highly sought after.
Special release: Bottled for Japan and not intended for the UK market.
Allocation: Japan

Nose: Elegant, fruit-forward bouquet of dried plum, fig, black cherry, almond paste, vanilla-toffee, cedar, leather, subtle smoke, clove, and nutmeg. Also smoky, oily, with notes of iodine, oak, acetone hazelnut, rapeseed oil, peanuts, and granary toast.
Palate: Silky and refined, with delicate orchard fruit, honey, subtle oak, a whisper of spice, citrus zest, and almond notes. Sweet and intense, with hints of TCP, driftwood, peat smoke, musty tool sheds, peanuts, floral hints, and baked apple.
Finish: Extraordinarily long, with warm oak, a whisper of vanilla, dried fruit sweetness, soft spice (nutmeg, clove), cocoa, and cedar notes. Sherried and dry, with black pepper, very spicy, peaty, oily, and some chili.

87.2 / 100 · Based on 5 published reviews.

tidepoolwren10 Oct

87 / 100

There’s a pleasing tension between the fruit and sweetness and the more assertive spice. Dried plum and fig on the nose lead into delicate orchard fruit, honey and almond on the palate; the finish brings black pepper, chili and peat alongside dried-fruit sweetness. That contrast is the part I find most compelling. The palate’s gentle touch of spice sounds quieter than the peppery, peaty finish, so this reads as layered rather than simply sweet.

moonlit_notebook27 Sept

86 / 100

At 40%, the dried-fruit sweetness meets a dry, spicy finish.

afterglow_pebble17 Sept

87 / 100

The fruit and almond notes give this a gentle, rounded feel, while the smoke and spice keep it from seeming too sweet. That balance sounds appealing, especially alongside the cedar and dried-fruit notes in the finish.

Aamberkit6 Sept

88 / 100

Sweetness has a counterweight in smoke, oak, and spice.

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