Karuizawa Omoiyari One of Six Bottles - Elixir Distillers 70cl / 53.3%

A bottle of Karuizawa Omoiyari Single Malt Japanese Whisky, bottled in 2020 by Elixir Distillers.

In 2011, Elixir Distillers co-founder Sukhinder Singh was part of a small group of whisky buyers who purchased the final casks of Karuizawa single malt whisky. Elixir Distillers archived a sample from every cask it had bottled so that the team could revisit them and continue to develop their understanding of this sought-after spirit.

With the world in turmoil and the drinks industry suffering daily from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, building their archive seems less important. Instead, they have taken the last remaining samples from some of the most interesting casks and used them to create a unique single malt from the lost distillery, containing some of the most remarkable and sought-after whiskies ever to be produced in Japan: Karuizawa Omoiyari.

The components were all distilled between 1963 and 1984, but the whisky is built around a heart of spirit from 1972, the most lauded of Karuizawa vintages. The resulting whisky balances the intense character of sherry-matured Karuizawa with the elegant, fruity flavours found in the very best of the distillery's bourbon casks.

Omoiyari is the Japanese custom of being caring, considerate and compassionate towards the needs of others, something that is now more important than ever.

This is one of six bottles. One bottle is to be kept in the Elixir Distillers archive.

This Karuizawa Omoiyari sold at our online auction for £25,000