(Source: Christie's Wine & Spirits)

Karuizawa Whisky’s reputation today is closely associated with scarcity, collectability, and an unusually distinctive Japanese malt from a closed distillery.

However, its standing was not always taken for granted. Before the distillery’s closure in 2000 and the subsequent rise of a secondary market around its remaining stock, it was Sukhinder Singh and his team (who then ran specialist spirits retailer The Whisky Exchange) who were amongst the first to begin selecting and bottling Karuizawa casks well before the whisky became widely treated as a cult object.

Within the whisky enthusiast community, Elixir’s Karuizawa releases are often cited as reference points for quality, and are generally regarded as having come from some of the strongest remaining casks in circulation. (Click here to read our recent review of Sukhinder Singh's 50 Year Old Karuizawa Whisky!)

One of two Karuizawa whisky casks up for auction (Source: Christie's)

This March, Christie's London Wine and Spirits will offer two complete casks of Karuizawa whisky from Sukhinder's collection, both distilled in 1999 - the final year before the distillery ceased production. Bottled examples have achieved high prices at auction in recent years, often entering long-term private collections shortly after release.

The auction house notes that an auction of entire casks comes in a format rarely made available publicly, and places significant discretion in the hands of the eventual buyer. Christie's describes this to offer “complete creative control”, including decisions around bottling, timing, and presentation. Such decisions can materially affect both the profile of the whisky and how it is positioned once released.

Both casks are from Singh’s private collection, and Christie’s characterises his role as one of long-term stewardship. Singh and Elixir Distillers have been responsible for bringing a significant proportion of the distillery’s releases to market, shaping how Karuizawa was introduced to collectors outside Japan. Christie’s has stated that these two casks are expected to be the last full Karuizawa casks to ever appear publicly.

(Source: Christie's)

The casks are currently lying in bond in Scotland at Tormore Distillery - the Speyside distillery owned by Elixir Distillers. The successful bidder may choose either to continue ageing the whisky at Tormore or to proceed with bottling.

The live auction, numbered 24677, is scheduled to take place on 10 March at 2:00 pm GMT in London. Click here to go to Christie's official auction page. 

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team