Karuizawa 36 Views of Mount Fuji Batch 25 Single Malt 1999–2000

Technical Details

The Distillery

Karuizawa

Founded in 1955 by the Mercian Corporation in the cool highland resort town of Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, the distillery operated in the shadow of the volcanic Mount Asama at an altitude that created ideal conditions for slow, concentrated maturation. Karuizawa produced exclusively single malt whisky, relying heavily on first-fill sherry casks sourced from Jerez, which bestowed its spirit with a characteristically rich, dark-fruit profile. Production ceased in 2000, and the distillery was fully dismantled by 2011, cementing its status as Japan’s most celebrated ghost distillery. The small annual output and finite remaining stocks have made every surviving bottle a collector’s artefact of the highest order, sought by connoisseurs across Asia, Europe, and beyond.

This Expression

The Fugaku Sanjurokkei series — named after Katsushika Hokusai’s iconic woodblock print cycle ‘Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji’ — represents the most artistically conceived release programme to emerge from Karuizawa’s surviving casks. Each numbered batch draws from 1999 and 2000 vintages, the very last years of distillation before the stills fell silent. The 25th Release within this celebrated series continues the tradition of single-cask or limited-vatting bottlings presented at natural cask strength, with each expression offering its own nuanced interpretation of Karuizawa’s signature sherry-driven character.

Tasting Profile

No verified tasting notes for Batch 25 specifically have been identified in public records. The following describes the documented house character of Karuizawa’s 1999–2000 sherry-matured releases, consistent across the Fugaku Sanjurokkei series. The colour is a deep burnished mahogany, reflecting years of contact with first-fill sherry oak. On the nose, expect rich layers of Medjool dates, dark raisins, and dried fig, underscored by bittersweet chocolate and a subtle note of aged leather. The palate unfolds with remarkable density — black cherry conserve, Christmas cake spice, orange peel, and a whisper of roasted coffee — all carried on a full, silky body that belies the cask-strength delivery. The finish is extraordinarily long, with dark honey, milk chocolate, and a warming persistence of dried fruit that can linger for many minutes. A profoundly complex whisky in the tradition of this storied ghost distillery.

Provenance & Authentication

Wines & Spirits SA sources this bottle directly from certified and audited suppliers with fully documented chain of custody — an essential safeguard for rare Japanese single malts of this calibre. Once acquired, it is stored in the company’s climate-controlled cellar in Eclepens, Switzerland, maintained at 14°C and 70% humidity. Every bottle is handled with the rigour befitting a collectible of this rarity, ensuring integrity from supplier to collector.

Collector Context

Karuizawa’s Fugaku Sanjurokkei series has become one of the most actively traded Japanese whisky collections on the secondary market, with individual releases regularly appearing at international auction at four-figure prices. As a ghost distillery with a fixed and dwindling inventory, every bottle that surfaces commands intense interest from Asian and European collectors alike. The 25th Release, like its siblings in the series, derives its value from an absolute scarcity that only deepens with time. Documented provenance — confirming authentic storage conditions and legitimate sourcing — is now considered indispensable when acquiring any Karuizawa at this level.

Food Pairing

Pour into a Glencairn crystal glass and allow at least ten minutes’ rest for the cask strength to integrate. A few drops of still mineral water may open additional floral and dried-fruit layers. Pair the Karuizawa 36 Views of Mount Fuji Batch 25 with a small piece of Valrhona Guanaja dark chocolate to echo the whisky’s deep cocoa and raisin tones.