The Whisky Exchange (TWE) Cabinet has revealed its latest exclusive release, a 50-Year-Old Karuizawa Marriage. This highly sought-after Japanese single malt combines two of the oldest casks from the now-closed Karuizawa distillery, making it a truly one-of-a-kind whisky offering. This marks the second exclusive release on the TWE Cabinet platform, following the debut of The Glenlivet’s Twelve Elements collection earlier this year.
The Karuizawa Marriage blends two whiskies: one from 1965, initially bottled in 2015, and another from 1972, which was last sampled at a TWE masterclass in 2012. The 1965 whisky was matured in a Sherry cask, offering rich dried fruit, coffee, and spice notes. A portion of this was kept back from the original bottling for this special release. The 1972 whisky, matured in a red wine cask, adds layers of tropical guava and dried mango to the blend. The two components were vatted together in 2022 and left to rest, resulting in a spectacularly complex 50-year-old whisky.
Limited to just 50 bottles, each featuring a hand-engraved illustration of a Japanese princess, this release celebrates the aesthetics of wabi-sabi, reflecting a moment of purity, elegance, and beauty in Japanese history. The whisky is presented at 54.8% ABV in a 500ml bottle.
Available exclusively through the TWE Cabinet, the platform offers a blockchain-enabled purchasing experience for collectors. It includes a digital certificate for reselling, proof of ownership, authenticity, and traceability. Unlike other platforms, TWE Cabinet allows the use of traditional payment methods like debit and credit cards.
The Karuizawa 50-Year-Old Marriage will be released on 17 October 2024, with a price tag of €44,000 (US$48,000/£36,700), excluding VAT.
