Nose: Chlorine at a public swimming pool shower block. Match heads, lavender, mixed peel, wet dog. Odd!
Palate: Sherry, sweet orange. toffee, cloves, nutmeg, salt. Adding water neither adds or subtracts.
Finish: Wet cement, toffee, pepper, salt, match heads, chlorine.
Last Word: Not a total disaster despite the odd notes.
Rating: 79/100
*Notes taken from a purchased sample.
I found your tasting notes interesting, Brian. I have now tasted this on two occasions and twice it has failed to convince me. Something went wrong when they vatted the sherry butt and the bourbon casks. Far from being odd I found that neither the nose nor the palate truly deliver. It would be too harsh to call this whisky ‘bland’ but it certainly is far from what I would expect from a 27yo, and a Karuizawa on top of that. Interesting to see that this went for about 275 Euros in Europe and sold very well.
Hi Pierre. Unlike some I actually don’t have high expectations for any Karuizawa no matter what cask they are matured in. I’ve tasted a few very good one’s but never a stellar one and I’ve tasted quite a few. Many of them have been just plain awful. Doesn’t stop me from buying them either by the bottle or the dram though as they are Japanese whiskies and that is my interest. I just don’t put them on a pedestal. No doubt this one is already selling for a lot more at auction.