Authentic Japanese spirits retailer dekantā have just announced the opening of their ballot to buy one of the world’s rarest whiskies, a 35 year old single sherry cask whisky, of which only 150 bottles are available, from the closed Karuizawa distillery. Each of the Karuizawa 35 Year Old Cities of Japan Sherry Cask ($12,500, 70cl, 59.4%) bottles carries one of six limited edition designs, embodying the character of Japan’s most exciting and iconic cities, Tokyo, Sapporo, Nagoya, Osaka, Yokohama and Kobe. Since the Karuizawa distillery ceased production in 2000, demand for Japanese whisky, and the limited Karuizawa stock, has increased dramatically, pushing up prices as a result.

“Karuizawa is synonymous with quality, luxury, and rarity. We’re overjoyed to offer our clients a piece of this legendary silent distillery, and to unveil the beautiful bottle designs honouring six great cities of Japan,” said Makiyo Masa, Founder and Director of dekantā. Through the collection’s six bespoke bottle designs, dekantā aims to take Japanese whisky lovers on a sensual tour of modern Japan; from the never-sleeping Tokyo, through the snowy land of Sapporo in Hokkaido, along Osaka’s edgy streets and Kobe’s stylish fashion-forward districts, on to tranquil Yokohama and vibrant Nagoya.

Winners of the ballot will be offered the opportunity to purchase a bottle of the Karuizawa 35 Year Old Cities of Japan Sherry Cask. Each entry can be for one selection, or multiple selections, from the limited edition designs. The ballot will close at 11.59 GMT on Wednesday 7 February 2018, when ballot winners will be contacted with details on how to complete their purchase. Any winners who do not exercise their opportunity to purchase their allocated bottle within three days will have their winning ballots redrawn, and new winners will be contacted.

To enter the ballot for the Karuizawa 35 Year Old Cities of Japan Sherry Cask, visit https://dekanta.com/ballot35/ to express interest in one or more of the limited design editions, before 11.59 GMT on Wednesday 7 February 2018.

Tasting Notes

This exceptional Karuizawa has spent over three and a half decades maturing in a first fill sherry cask. Over this time, the spirit has been imbued with the flavor and character of the cask to develop a rich, dark and complex nose: opening with notes of liquorice, roasted coffee beans and dark chocolate; cinnamon, ginger and clove make an appearance after the initial intensity has waned. The sherry cask delivers a sweet and creamy palate, peppered with spice, now joined by dark chocolate, umami and succulent forest fruits. Prunes, dates and plums intensify near the finish. The finish is long and satisfying, a reminder of the significant time spent in the cask, bringing cocoa, extra spice and a touch of mango.

Notes to Editors:

dekantā Founder Makiyo Masa, and Brand Ambassador George Koutsakis are available for interview. Please RSVP to arrange, Miriam Rune: miriam@dekanta.com / 07740 339 628.

Press images (further images available on request): https://dekanta.com/press-library/

Visit the dekantā press room: https://dekanta.com/press/

About dekantā

dekantā offers customers access to the world’s largest online selection of authentic Japanese Spirits and has delivered to 127 countries across every continent in the world. A family owned and run business, dekantā’s founders have been selling collectibles since 1985 and specialize in rare, collectible, and new release single malt Japanese whisky. dekantā offers worldwide delivery on an extensive range of Japanese single malt whisky, Japanese grain whisky and Japanese blended whisky, in addition to Scottish whisky released for the Japanese market only.

Consumers who would like to learn more about Japanese whisky should visit the dekantā website, which boasts the most extensive repository of information dedicated to Japanese whisky, including distillery history and tasting notes for each bottle. Bilingual concierge service is available 24 hours a day, providing expert recommendations in both English and Japanese.  

About Karuizawa Distillery

The Karuizawa Distillery was established in 1955 in the foothills of an active volcano Mount Asama. The location was notable for being the highest distillery in Japan at 850m above sea level. Despite being the smallest whisky producer in Japan, Karuizawa had a global reputation for producing first-class malt whiskies. The distillery imported Golden Promise barley from Scotland and aged the majority of its stock in sherry casks. Karuizawa stopped producing whisky in 2000 and has since been known as a ‘silent’ distillery. As global interest in Japanese whisky has grown in recent years, demand for stock from the closed Karuizawa distillery has increased dramatically, along with the price of the remaining bottles.

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