Karuizawa Spirit of Asama

Overall rating
87.44/100
votes
184
Whiskybase ID
WB37720
Category
Single Malt
Distillery
Bottler
Distillery Bottling
Bottled
2012
Strength
55.0 % Vol.
Size
700 ml
Barcode
5060188980810
Bottled for
The Whisky Exchange
Market
United Kingdom United Kingdom
Added on
15 nov 2012 9:06 pm

Average value

€ 2747.90

34 × in wishlist

184 × member ratings

394 × in collection

Whisky reviews for Karuizawa Spirit of Asama

19 users have left 23 reviews for this whisky. Average rating is 87.44 points.

  1. dram-drinker scored this whisky 81 points Photo Moderator

    Heavy, dusty, but I do not like the sweaty socks profile, and it's way too expensive for what it is, I mean you can have the very same profile with some cheaper bottles of Springbank from the 90s
    • Nose
      Old oak wood, old books, little dusty, hints of toffee, but still rather dry, little leathery, dark fruits
    • Taste
      Very oily, thick, mellow, liquorice, sherry wood, hints of sulphur, sweaty socks, little sweetness, just little fruitiness
    • Finish
      Long and burning, zesty, a tad bitter

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  3. nallacam scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      90 90
      A hint of sulfur, workshop, pickles, mahogany, lovage, caramel, light umami
    • Taste
      89 89
      intense, tobacco, dates, chocolate
    • Finish
      87 87
      medium length, light, mild

  4. huseeraaja scored this whisky 86 points Member Senior

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      86 86

  5. pianoman scored this whisky 85 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      Fresh earth, lemon, woodruff. Old woodshed. Light yeast wheat. Behind it apples, apricots and a little mint.
    • Taste
      Malt, red peppercorns. Black bread with apricot jam. Milk chocolate, a hint of nougat. Espresso.

  6. spigray scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      89 89

  7. spigray scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    very good, and when I think of the time when you could buy this one at 75 eu.......
    88/100
    • Nose
      dark sherry nose with sultanas, rubber, chocolate, nuts and a little oak. stewed apples, allspice, cinnamon and some toffee.
    • Taste
      with a little bit of water: nice toffee notes, sultanas, dark chocolate, leather, earth. relatively dry, very pleasant.
    • Finish
      long on leathery and a little peppery notes

  8. dram-drinker scored this whisky 81 points Photo Moderator

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      82 82
    • Finish
      80 80

  9. maltaholic scored this whisky 82 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      85 85

  10. maltaholic scored this whisky 82 points Connoisseur

    It is a pity that these whiskys hardly exist anymore.
    • Nose
      Fruity sherry nose, a light spice. Pickled raisins.
    • Taste
      A first sip then reveals the complexity. The barrel comes out, paired with soft sherry. Very light vanilla, leather, red apples, plum jam.
    • Finish
      Long, fruity finish.

  11. kimmosuo scored this whisky 83 points Connoisseur

    The price of the bottle was about 100€ in 2013.
    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      83 83
    • Finish
      80 80

  12. Claudio + Cats scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    Rather disappointing. The price is definitely better.

  13. skratte scored this whisky 87 points Expert Junior

    • Nose
      92 92
    • Taste
      83 83
    • Finish
      89 89

  14. skratte scored this whisky 87 points Expert Junior

    rich nose, complex and excellent whisky
    4/5
    • Nose
      sherry, oak, tobacco, caramel, dark chocolate, leather, wine, dried fruits, spices
    • Taste
      sweet, caramel, oak, spices, hints of dates
    • Finish
      strong oak taste, dried apricots, spice, wine, again forest soil

  15. franpincoffee scored this whisky 92 points Expert Senior

    http://whiskycast.com/ratings/karuizawa-spirit-of-asama/

    The nose is nice and warm with pine nuts, allspice, coconut, and jasmine notes. The taste is spicy with intense black pepper and a hint of vanilla underneath, followed by a second warming wave of cinnamon and honey sweetness with touches of apple and jasmine. The finish is long with allspice and coconut notes.

  16. MY MALTS scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    Marvelous.

  17. whiskyroma scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      85 85

  18. Kantenmechaniker scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    very complex, it hides a lot of different flavors in this great whisky. For my personal taste unfortunately too much floral notes.
    • Nose
      very fresh, lemon zest, a little bit of chocolate, a touch of sulfur, over time, the sherry with its typical dark dried fruit comes through, leather, a bit musty or earthy, with a little water, the nose is extremely grassy or flowery
    • Taste
      Wow, very sweet start, then just lemon, full load of sherry, a little malty, the chocolate is back to the grassy minty is always noticeable, the alcohol is very well integrated
    • Finish
      fruity and floral, more and more freshly mown grass, leaves a fresh feeling in the mouth

  19. WhiskyLovingPianist did not rate this whisky Connoisseur

    ‘One of those ‘ooh urm’ drams’

    N: Curry, curry powder, Madras in particular, and synthetic strawberry flavour from Cornettos. Theres a [Bladnoch] tomato sauce vibe, more particularly a sweet Worcester sauce - aah, its TAMARIND! Tomato/bacon ‘Wheat Crunchies’, meaty [pork?] shitaki mushrooms in a light soy sauce and prunes or some other nondescript, syrup drowned hotel breakfast stewed fruit. Old musty vibe is accompanied by tobacco stained worn armchairs, yep
    T: Wow, rich arrival, Boom!!! Needs water. Thick, rich, sherry development growing [slight sulphur note], changing, moving. Some herbs, stewed fruits,... goes on for ages. Without water, there are very dark cocoa notes emerging with ginger and dried raspberry flakes. Sweet malt in the form of fruit compotes salivate in the mouth to usher the finish.
    F: Dusty, woody, ash, valerian root and….. fennel, as clear as day - all very balanced and swirling around and moving all the time.
    C: This is one of those ‘ooh urm’ ever moving drams. Some of the particular flavours are clear and vibrant like the fennel note. Conversely its also on the sour/musty side and some of the nose and palate notes are almost this and that, but not quite that or this. [See WM for a similar view]. Water helps a lot of the time, but try with and without. Murray points to this whisky struggling from poor sherry butts. All in all a fantastic whisky for £62 [Feb ’14] when you consider its fetching £300 [Nov ’14] ten months later.

    Scores a B+

  20. bigbird11 did not rate this whisky Newbie

    Can get hold of one of these in New Zealand for a decent price...is this something I could start my whisky investment collection (alongside my drinkers of course)? Would appreciate some advice! Glad to be a new part of this community!

  21. bestofwhiskies.com did not rate this whisky Connoisseur

    The link is valid, so is the price..Just a few left!

  22. LukeFive scored this whisky 91 points Connoisseur

    This notes have been done with undiluted whisky. 55%.

    I loved the nose the most
    • Nose
      Sweet,ripe dark fruits, strawberry jam, stone fruits, orchard fruits, touch of earth in the background, mushrooms, leather, cigar boxes. Beautiful. No alcohol burn at all. Well balanced with that sweetness and the earthiness with touch of minerals . ( like being in the rocky forest after rain ) . I love it
    • Taste
      Sweet arrival, then jalapeño spices comes up. Sweetness opens up on again peach and strawberry reserve, sherry, the earthiness is still there to support the sweet fruity burst. Good. Mushrooms, leather, tobbaco, touch of oak, tannins but never dominating, The jalapeño spiciness disappear for a while before appear again in finish
    • Finish
      Dry Lingering finish, with sherry, tobacco again, dark chocolate touch of nuttiness, tannins and spices

  23. Master Quill scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    Same as the 48% version, only higher strength. Marriage of 77 Sherry Butts from 1999 and 2000.

  24. Ian V scored this whisky 88 points Member Senior

    This one is growing on me. Earthiness rarely tastes this good. The damp forest floor, minerally rocks and light sulfur really come together well  

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