Karuizawa 1972 39 Years Old bottled 2011 63.3% alc by vol Cask 7038 Number One Drinks bt N° 523 OWC

Karuizawa 1972 39 Years Old (bottled 2011): A titan of Japanese whisky art - Report

The Karuizawa 1972 39 Years Old (bottled 2011) is no ordinary bottle, but an absolute icon of the whisky world, a symbol of the lost splendour of Japanese distilling art and one of the most sought-after and valuable whiskies of all. Here is the report:

1. the essence:

• Distillery: Karuizawa (Japan, Nagano region) - Closed in 2000/2001 Famous for tiny production volumes, exclusive sherry cask ageing and mythical quality.

• Age: 39 years (distilled in 1972, bottled in 2011) - An extreme ageing period.

• Bottling: Typically as a single cask or small batch bottling(cask no. often specified, e.g. #5627, #3607 etc.), often by independent bottlers such as Number One Drinks Company or Elixir Distillers (formerly The Whisky Exchange) in co-operation with the owner of the casks (e.g. La Maison du Whisky).

• Quantity bottled: Extremely small! Often only a few hundred bottles per cask. The total number of 1972 bottlings is minimal.

• Alcohol content: 63.3% vol.(Cask Strength) - Remarkably high after almost 4 decades in the cask, a sign of robust casks and high concentration.

• Cask type: Almost exclusively first-fill sherry butts (Spanish Oak), which characterise the intense, dark and complex character. The use of Golden Promise barley (rare & expensive) is characteristic.

2. sensory profile (based on high-level expert tastings):

• Colour: Deep mahogany, ruby red to almost black - A clear indication of decades of interaction with first-fill sherry casks.

• Nose : Incredibly intense, complex and deep. Explosion of dark dried fruits (plums, sultanas, figs, dates, cherries), dark chocolate & cocoa, oriental spices (cloves, cinnamon, allspice), leather, old furniture polish, rancio (noble oxidation notes), dark honey, beetroot and a characteristic earthy/peaty underlay (despite unpeated barley). Powerful but not overwhelming, with almost endless depth.

• Palate: Massive, oily and extremely concentrated. The high alcohol strength is perfectly integrated and carries the flavours without burning. A symphony of sherry intensity: juicy dark fruits, blackcurrant jam, bitter orange, liquorice, strong espresso, dark spices, noble balsamic notes, tobacco and a distinctive umami quality (soy sauce, mushrooms). The texture is incredibly fat, silky and sticky.

• Finish: Eternally long, warm and constantly changing. The sherry fruit remains dominant, accompanied by dark chocolate, mineral notes (graphite), spicy wood, herbal notes (tea, walnut shell) and a lingering, pleasantly dry finish. The complexity unfolds for minutes.

3. meaning & classification:

• Karuizawa myth:the distillery produced tiny quantities (small stills, Golden Promise barley, exclusive sherry casks) for the Japanese domestic market, completely unknown internationally. Its closure and the later discovery of the stocks turned it into a cult object.

• Ultimate maturity:39 years in sherry casks are extremely rare and create an unrivalled concentration and complexity. These bottlings represent the essence of the Karuizawa style.

• Rarity & collector status: One of the rarest and most sought-after whisky bottlings in the world. The small quantity (often <500 bottles per cask), the legendary distillery and the outstanding quality make it an ultra-luxury collector's item. It is a symbol of prestige in the whisky world.

• Investment frontrunner: Karuizawa bottlings, especially early vintages such as 1972, regularly achieve auction records in the six- to seven-figure euro range (e.g. over €100,000 per bottle). They are among the most stable and value-enhancing whisky investments of all.

4. evaluation & conclusion:

• Quality: Exceptional, monumental,a whisky of extreme intensity, complexity and depth. The perfect integration of the high alcohol strength is remarkable. Represents the pinnacle of Japanese sherry cask ageing.

• Rarity: Cultic, almost unrivalled. Unique.

• Experience:Tasting a whisky like this is a unique, almost mythical event for absolute connoisseurs and collectors. It is a deep sensory journey into the history and the highest skill of Japanese distilling.

• Reviews: Awarded at most praise and quasi-mythical status points by experts worldwide (often beyond official scoring systems). Consensus: A whisky of the century.

Summary:
The Karuizawa 1972 39 Years Old (2011) is more than just a whisky - it is a legend in bottle form.It epitomises the lost art of the small Karuizawa distillery in its purest and most mature form. Almost four decades in first-fill sherry casks have created a whisky of monumental intensity, sheer endless complexity and unrivalled depth at an astonishing 63.3% vol. Its elegance despite this power is remarkable. As one of the most expensive and sought-after collector's items in the world, it is only a distant dream for the vast majority. It stands at the absolute pinnacle of the Japanese whisky pantheon and is a cultural artefact of inestimable value.