Online retailer Dekantā will sell 43 sets of a 35-year-old Karuizawa whisky in three martial arts-inspired designs tomorrow, priced at US$45,000.
The three-bottle Karuizawa 35 Year Old ‘The Budō Collection’ (1981-2017) #7147 Japanese single cask whisky will go on sale tomorrow (19 November) at 3pm GMT.
The whisky was distilled in 1981 at the Karuizawa distillery and matured for 35 years in an ex-Sherry cask, before being bottled at 51% ABV in 2017.
Dekantā said the release is likely to be among the very final casks to be bottled from Karuizawa, which closed in 2000.
The expression has notes of cinnamon baked plum, rich cocoa, burnt toffee and sweet liquorice on the nose. The palate offers Christmas cake, fresh tobacco leaves, sticky dates, and rich oak, followed by a ‘long and spicy’ finish.
Budō means the ‘martial way’ in Japanese and is a term that describes modern Japanese martial arts. As such, the designs for each bottle are inspired by three modern Japanese martial arts: kendo, karate and sumo.
Each set features designs from three Japanese street artists, Fate, Phil and Two One, who each have a background in martial arts. The bottles have been individually hand painted and signed by the original artists.
The stand that the bottles sit on is also inspired by martial arts, taking influence from the Japanese roof structures above traditional outdoor sumo rings, called dohyō.
“This collection has been many years in the making, intended to celebrate the craft of Japanese modern martial arts, and draw parallels between the discipline of their practice and that of artists and master distillers in Japan,” said Makiyo Masa, founder and director of Dekantā. “With that in mind, the collection has gained new significance in light of a year in which so many sporting, art and cultural events have sadly been cancelled.”
Consumers can visit the Dekantā website to buy the set of three 700ml bottles, which will be shipped immediately.
