It’s Sunday, the first official workday of 2016 here and the last vacation day for most of you so something strong and bold is needed here, but not something mundane, it should be something special, like a bold Karuizawa.

Well, all Karuizawas I tasted were bold and this one ain’t no exception. It was bottled in 2014 for LMDW from a single cask that yielded 595 bottles at 55.3%.

Karuizawa 1981 33 Year Old (55.3%, LMDW, cask #136)

Nose: That’s a nose that isn’t taking prisoners – oriental spices, tea spices, menthol, sweet, some cigar leaves and tobacco, old books and leather but at the same time fresh sweet red fruit, brown caramel, Cream Brulee, Herbal, oranges and citrus fragranced.

Palate: Bold! Spicy, sweet bordering sour fruity notes, menthol, camphor, oak, earl grey tea (bergamont), kumquats. Massive yet balanced.

Finish: Lingering spiciness and herbal notes, oak, menthol, tea  and spices, bitter kumquats  balanced by sweet berries.

Thoughts: A fantastic Karuizawa. The cask brings us here a twist on the regular sherry profile with massive herbal and spicy side and it works brilliantly here.

(Thanks Franck for the sample!)