Yamazaki Bourbon Barrel - NAS (2012)

Like the sort of sister bottling, the Yamazki Puncheon this ones comes at 48% vol with no chill filtration and no age statement. I already tasted  the 2010 version back then and like it a lot.

• Nose: Honey, vanilla, fruity, thick sirup, dry straw
• Mouth: Fruity & round
• Finish: Warm, sweet, full, mild spices, honey, vanilla

Comment: Very fruity again and nice smooth honey and not as vanilla as many bourbon casks are. So this is highly recommended. As I said in the Puncheon 2012 post, time skews my rating scale which is always a problem with rating some as personal as taste with absolute values.

87 points

Yamazaki Puncheon - NAS (2012)

I already tasted the 2010 version of this Yamazaki Puncheon. Bottled at 48% with no age statement and no chill filtration. I'm tasting it together with the 2012 Bourbon Barrel, so lets see.

• Nose: Wax and hay, grasses, sawn wood
• Mouth: Very speyside, oak, fairly dry
• Finish: Oak, drying, malt, a touch tanins

Comment: Not as round as the bourbon cask, but nice flavors all around. "Simple" whisky on a high level. Compared to the bourbon barrel this is more grassy, dry speyside and doesn't have the fruityness. I gave higher points to both, the puncheon and the bourbon barrel last time around. Not really sure if it is worse or better or the same in direct comparison, but time really skews ones rating scale I guess.

85 points

Karuizawa 1999 & 2000 Tokyo Int. BarShow #2565

The second Karuizawa bottling from the Tokyo International BarShow. Bottled at 61.6% and like the sister bottling a vatting of two 1999 & 2000 distilled sherry butt casks.

• Nose: Raisins, Sherry, Ume-ex (salty concentrated ume plum), slightly harsh, with water some glue and solvent
• Mouth: Sherry, oak, herbal
• Finish: Red fruits, some slight tannins, juicy oak, quite nice!

Comments: Rather good finish, nose and mouth are good too but nothing stellar plus the slightly noticable harshness is a negative.

85 points

Karuizawa 1999 & 2000 Tokyo Int. BarShow #7698

This Krauizawa is a vatting of two sherry butt aged whisky casks distilled in 1999 and 2000. Bottled at cask strength with a whopping 61.7% for the Tokyo International Bar Show. At the bar show two exclusive Karuizawa bottlings were sold as well as a Yamazaki Puncheon and "Chibidaru" (mini cask) Chichibu.

• Nose: Subdued, a bit harsh, some plywood, some yellow fruits in the background, with water smoother, but still a bit harsh
• Mouth: Some light (fino?) sherry, a touch bitter, honey
• Finish: Relatively short, oak and tannins, slightly drying

Comment: The notes sound a bit too negative - it's not to bad, but but the harshness with the lack of roundness isn't too thrilling. But letting it breath for a while brings it back together.

82 points

Karuizawa - 1984 - 28yo - #3692

This classic Karuizawa was distilled in 1984, aged in a Sherry Butt and bottled in 2012  by Number One Drinks. Some solid 61.6% vol.

• Nose: Raisins, all kind of woods, sherry, warm, hot dusty streets after a short rain-shower (yeah, that's a bit vague...), oily, some slight matchsticks and earthy
• Mouth: Warm, very oily, sherry, oak, creamy, very round mouth feeling
• Finish: Sandalwood, oak, smooth sherry with oak, oily, red fruits, long and warm

Comment: Very good classic sherry heavy Karuizawa. Balanced and good harmony.

90 points

Karuizawa - 1990 - #679

This first fill Karuizawa was distilled in 1990 and bottled in 2012. Aged in a first fill sherry cask. Bottled at 56.1% cask strength.

• Nose: Glue, acidic, a little bit harsh - water tames it though, red fruit juice with acetone, menthol
• Mouth: Sherry, a little bit bitter and tannins, oak, quite oily
• Finish: Tannins, sherry, quite drying and some oak

Comment: This one takes quite a bit of water to be tamed. I've seen some raving tasting notes about this one elsewhere on the the net, but I don't feel this one. It's good whisky, but that's it. Even at ~22 years it feels young, harsh and unfinished compared to other Karuizawas. (Maybe something was wrong with my sample... don't know)

81 points.