Karuizawa cask 4592, 1977 (bottle 2010), ‘Noh Series,’

The (sadly mothballed) Karuizawa distillery is at the opposite extreme to Eigashima. Peated malt small stills and sherry casks give a single malt of uncompromising weight and solidity. Those of you who thought Japan was all about the ethereal and limpid think again. In musical terms if Eigashima is the Modern Jazz Quarter then Karuizawa is late period Coltrane or if you prefer it’s Black Flag to Eigashima’s Carole King.

Anyhoo did I mention this bottling (like all of this quartet from Number One Drinks) is green? Or at least has a color akin to tarnished silver? The note is all chicory and coffee earthiness and cardamom - whisky reduced to some weird essence by long maturation. The effect is one of an old-fashioned cough medicine (with less laudanum).