Another one of these Karuizawa releases that went directly to Taiwan. Cask #6568 distilled in 1980.
Karuizawa 31 yo 1980
(56,4%, OB 2011, sherry butt #6568)
Karuizawa 31 yo 1980Nose: one of those burnt sugar / dark honey / tarry noses. Overripe – not to say rotting – melons. Quite some wet leaves and moss in there. Fungi. Undeniable gunpowder and sulphury spent matches as well. Raisins. Roasted nuts. Over time it develops some acidity, sour red fruits compote with overtones of raspberry vinegar. Not the best start.
Mouth: big and dark, smoky and again not without gunpowder / sulphur notes. Dates. Coffee and liquorice. A woody astringency as well, tannins and the acid sherry notes again. A nice honey / plum liqueur theme in the background though, too bad it doesn’t get a chance. Allspice and incense towards the end.
Finish: powerful and spicy. Lots of liquorice.
Firecrackers, rotting organics and highly acidic sherry… Too bad for the nicer red fruits and honeys that are buried underneath. This is definitely the bad side of Karuizawa, maybe even the worst I’ve tried. Originally around € 360.
Score: 78/100