Whisky Exchange reveals 50YO Karuizawa Marriage
The Whisky Exchange's (TWE) blockchain-enabled platform, Cabinet, has unveiled a 50-year-old Karuizawa Japanese single malt.
Limited to 50 bottles only available at TWE Cabinet, the Karuizawa Marriage combines two of the oldest casks from closed Japanese distillery Karuizawa, resulting in a 'one-of-a-kind' 50-year-old whisky created by Elixir Distillers. The rare Japanese whisky follows the platform launch earlier this year with the inaugural release of The Glenlivet's 50-year-old collection. The first component in Karuizawa Marriage was distilled at the distillery in 1965 and bottled initially as a 50-year-old whisky in 2015. Matured in a Sherry cask, a small amount of the 'rich and complex' single malt with dried fruit, coffee and spice notes was kept back from bottling and held in glass, ready for the creation of the Marriage. The second component is a Karuizawa 1972, which was available to sample at a masterclass held at The Whisky Exchange in 2012, leading to the long-running plans for Marriage's debut. The 1972 distilled whisky was matured in a red wine cask, giving it a rich red-fruit character complemented by tropical guava and dried mango notes. After the tasting, the cask was recoopered to be smaller, allowing the maturation to continue at a more controlled pace. Vatted in 2022, the whiskies were left to rest, marry and develop for two years before being bottled in July 2024. Each of the 50 bottles in the Marriage collection features a hand-engraved illustration of a Japanese princess, inspired by the seven aesthetics of wabi-sabi, 'capturing and reflecting on a moment of purity, elegance and beauty, frozen in time in Japanese history'. The rare release is only available at The Whisky Exchange Cabinet, a secure blockchain-enabled global purchasing platform for collectors and connoisseurs. Along with a transferable digital certificate for reselling, the platform provides proof of ownership, authenticity, and traceability and offers a security safeguard. Unlike many blockchain-enabled platforms, any digital currency, including debit and credit cards, can be used. The Karuizawa 50-year-old Marriage 1965 and 1972 will be available on TWE Cabinet on Thursday 17 October 2024 from 10am (BST). Offered at 54.8% ABV in a 500ml bottle, the Japanese single malt carries a €44,000 (US$48,000/£36,700) price tag at the time of the release, excluding VAT. Karuizawa Distillery in Karuizawa, Miyota, was established in 1955 and stopped producing whisky in 2001. The distillery was demolished in 2016. Last year, Japanese spirits retailer Dekantā released 50 sets of a three-bottle Karuizawa whisky collection for US$50,000.
