Karuizawa Spirit of Asama

Karuizawa has been on my must-try radar for a while since expressions from this distillery are extremely rare or super expensive or both. Which is why it was nice to be able to get my hands on this not so expensive offering.

The Spanish sherry is clearly evident in the first nose though it's not as punchy as I would have liked it to be. There are mushrooms and milk balls floating in a mix of woody fortified wine and maple syrup seasoned with clove. This one is much closer to it's Scottish cousins than it's Japanese brothers that's for sure.

The palate is definitely stronger and approaches with confidence. There are dates and fudge with a smoky cinnamon dry rub.

The finish is nice and long with a chocolate-y dryness. There is, however, a mild bitter after taste that I catch which lets me down a touch.

Overall I think the malt is nice. But I'm still after the 30+ Karuizawas that are making waves around the world.

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