| Nose | Dark sherry, dried fruit, polished wood and incense |
| Palate | Dense and rich, with raisin, dark chocolate and spice |
| Finish | Very long, with oak and dried fruit |
Karuizawa Distillery was established in 1955 in the foothills of Mount Asama, an active volcano north-west of Tokyo, to make single malt in as traditional a manner as possible. At 850 metres above sea level, the distillery was the highest above sea levels in Japan; low temperatures and high humidity provided an ideal micro-climate for whisky production. This cask strength bottling was distilled in 1999-2000 and, like all Karuizawa whisky, it is highly collectible today.