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Karuizawa 1984/2012 Koi (The Whisky Exchange) cask 4021

Big brutally great sherry monster

0 492

nReview by @numen

24th Aug 2013

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  • Nose
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  • Taste
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  • Finish
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  • Balance
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  • Overall
    92

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Distribution of ratings for this: brand user

From tasting notes back in March:

Nose: Some cedar, but high on game meats, dried fruit nibs. Jam! Strawberries, coffee, and something slightly bitter that's 'off,' but delicious. Also some orange marmalade along with a mix of coffee and dark chocolate tones. (with water) bourbon honey, if you know what I mean, and caramel. wood, coconut, and a cedar box. very dark dates. what a transformation! eventually more coffee and very light game notes. the subtle salt is really splendid.

Palate: Wow! the entry is red berries and orange liqueur. this quickly yields to some wooden bitterness, just temporarily and then blends into gorgeous coffee and sherry after a lovely 5-course meal. Pecans, peppers, pralines, as well as burnt sugar and chai tea in the background. (with water) Sweeter, and again more rum+bourbon, but the scotchy sherry notes return. extremely graceful.

Finish: long and elegant, with coffee, subtle berries, caramel coated fruit, oxidative sherry notes, and wood. This is a sherry bomb, but it never loses itself in any direction. The gamey meats help keep these sorts of things in check, and these do very, very well for me

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4 comments

numen commented

Re-taste: You still get the really intriguing cedar and wood oils in there, with the fruit remaining a bit on red berries and chocolate malt. It definitely keeps to the caramelly side of things, but no mere candied apple covering. There was, perhaps, a touch more astringency along with the wood oils, especially compared to the #679, but this was excellent in a brutal, powerhouse way.

10 years ago 0

@Pierre_W
Pierre_W commented

Sounds like an unusual sherry bomb, with the bourbon honey and the caramel on the nose. Interesting! Great tasting notes as always.

10 years ago 0

numen commented

Thanks! I think that it's got some of those oxidative sherry notes that you find in other heavily sherried whiskies, but it's not too pronounced and doesn't take the place of the fruit. It's fierce with and without water, but excellent in small sips either way.

10 years ago 0

@Victor
Victor commented

Sounds like quite the taste trip! Most intriguing and enticing...and sufficient abv to back it up...

10 years ago 0

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